Life of a Phoenix
by Violet Vicky
Summary: It's just after 6th year has finished and the trio are set to head to Godrics Hollow and search for the Horcruxes. They face many challenges and romances along the way. R&R Please ON HIATUS
1. June 30th

JUNE 30th

Walking through Kings Cross Station were many sad faces, though none more than those of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. Only days ago one of the most powerful wizards of all, Albus Dumbledore, was murdered by the teens Potions professor Severus Snape. Pushing along their trolleys, packed with trunks and cages, the wizards and witch walked towards a very large man, his giraffe-like wife and their whale of a son, who were extremely unhappy.

"What are _these_ doing with you, boy? The large man asked through clenched teeth, while he turned a deep shade of purple.

"Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, Dudley, these are my best friends and fellow 'freaks' Hermione Granger and you already know Ronald Weasley. They're staying with me until my birthday. I might just add that they are both 17 and can legally do you-know-what," Harry told the Dursley's.

Hermione, Ron and Harry then started to pack the trunk of the car with their belongings.

"Wait boy! They are not staying with us and neither shall you after the end of next month," Vernon struggled to keep his voice down as to not attract attention.

"Listen carefully Dursley. We just lost a good friend and a great man, so we are in no mood to put up with your crap. So, enter the car and take us to Privet Drive," Hermione got up into Vernon's face but making sure he could see her wand.

Vernon gulped and turned to enter the car, his wife and son squeezing into the front of the car. The three teens climbed into the back seat and quietly sat through the car drive to 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging. After arriving to the house, the Dursley's scrambled out of the car, wanting to get away from the magical teens. Slowly collecting their possessions, and releasing their familiars, the trio walked towards the smallest room of the house, Harry's room. They fell onto the single bed occupying the room and lay silent for a long time, each thinking over their lives up to that point.

"We can't just lay here until the 31st. How about fixing this room, make it a little more appropriate," Hermione suggested, while getting up to search for a book in her trunk. Upon finding it she pulled it out, to neither of the boys surprise it was about 3 inches thick.

"Ok Hermione, what do we do first?" Harry asked not wanting to mope around all day.

"Remember Harry no magic by you so you can design the new room," Hermione reminded him before sending sparks at Ron, who was laying with his eyes shut.

Waking up with a start by the sparks Ron hit his head against the book Hermione was holding over him, "What you do that for, Hermy?" Ron whined, knowing that Hermione hated being called that.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley I hate that name and you know it. If you call me that again I'll turn you into a Flobberworm and feed you to Crooks," Hermione exploded at Ron who was cowering at the knowledge that she could do just that.

"Better make him a rat though Hermione. I don't think Crookshanks would like to eat a Flobberworm," Harry added getting a glare from Ron.

"Not helpful mate," Ron told him only to duck from angry red sparks that were erupting from Hermione's wand, "Jeez Hermione I'm sorry but the first thing I see after being rudely awoken was stars from hitting my head on that brick of a book."

"Fine Ron but remember my warning," Hermione then smiled and placed the book onto Harry's bed between the boys, "Now we have to enlarge the room, add two more beds, a shower/toilet area, more bookcases, wardrobes and get a table and chairs. That about it boys?" While she looked up the needed spells, the boys looked shocked at the magnitude of what Hermione was about to attempt.

"Ah Hermione? Do you know what you're doing? It's just we haven't even learnt this stuff yet," Ron asked warily not wanting to get the girl mad again. It didn't work.

"What do you mean 'do I know what I'm doing?'" Hermione asked, her temper raising again.

"Calm down Hermione. Ron's right, hell I didn't even know those things could be done. What's wrong with you today?" Harry settled the tempers down but was concerned about Hermione's behaviour.

"Nothing, just Ginny getting to me. She told me you broke up, that true?" Ginny had teased Hermione about her crush over Harry then called her a slut for both stealing Harry from her and leading Ron on.

Harry nodded his head and answered "Yes."

Ron was dumbfounded, "I thought you two were getting along great. Why break up with her?"

"Ron I did because of what I talked to you about on the train back. Remember?" Ron went red, recalling their conversation.

Harry had told him that he really liked Ginny but was in love with Hermione, "I just told her that it was too dangerous for us to be together. I should have told you that we had broken up but I thought you wouldn't have taken it well," Harry explained to Ron, knowing that he loved his sister greatly.

"Ok Harry I get it mate," Ron responded to Harry, who let out a sigh of relief.

"Let's get started on this renovation then boys," Hermione said while drawing her wand to start.

An hour later, the room was three times larger and filled with everything they would need for the weeks ahead.

"This will have to do. How about we go see the neighbourhood?" Hermione suggested after they were all packed away.

"Yeah maybe we'll run into Duddikins and his gang," Harry led the others outside, not even bothering to acknowledge his uncle's yells. The trio walked towards the neighbourhood park only just noting the stares they were receiving.

"Harry, why is everyone either staring at us or cowering from you?" Hermione questioned once they reached the park. Sitting at the swings, which intrigued Ron, Harry answered.

"Everyone has been told that I attend St Brutus' Institute for Incurably Criminal Boys, so I'm the bad boy," Harry told his friends hysterically.

"I've heard of that place. They certainly picked a fancy place to send you. A lot of money to spend on a supposed waste of time brat," Hermione joked causing the boys to laugh, Hermione joining in right away.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't baby Potter. Who's this Potter? A freak from school and looky, looky, a play thing. She put out for other Potter?" Piers Polkiss taunted Harry, sauntering towards the trio.

Standing to the side of his best friend, Dudley Dursley, Piers looked like a twig with a vile smirk on his face. Dudley, even though looking very sick, stood tall and mean.

"Piers, you and Duddikins better leave before you get hurt," Harry said through painfully clenched teeth. Dudley a look at three wands and turned a violent shade of green.

"Potter grew balls? Who would have ever guessed that? What you going to do? Poke me with those sticks? HA!" Piers was looking at Hermione with a predatory gleam in his eyes. Suddenly a crack was heard and Piers was on the ground.

"No one hurts Mister Harry Potter, or his Wheezy or Hermy," A loud, high-pitched squeal yelled out at Piers.

"Dobby!" The two wizards and witch called out. Harry raced forwards, pulling the maniacal house-elf off a now stunned Piers.

"Thanks Ron. Now Dobby, what are you doing here?" Harry asked the now visible house-elf.

"Dobby sorry sir but Dobby scared for Miss Hermy. Bad man had look in eye, same as old master when maids come by," Dobby was shaking with anger, "Only maids never do any cleaning. Leave it all for house-elves."

"That's sick. Of course Lucius would rape women. Thankyou Dobby but now we have to obliviate that scum. How did you know I was in trouble?" Hermione asked him kindly.

Dobby blushed at the way she spoke, "Well when Professy Dumbledore was killed Dobby was asked who he want to work for. I issus remembering your kindness and decided to work for you's, Mister Harry Potter and his Wheezy," Explained Dobby, who was now bouncing on his heels excitedly.

"If it's ok with Hermione, and I pay you, we could use your help. We'll be researching a lot of things and travelling a bit so could you, umm, clean, cook and that sort of stuff?" Harry asked tentatively, not wanting to annoy Hermione.

Dobby broke down and cried at the offer, then looked up with his large eyes to see what Hermione thought. Hermione was thinking over all the perks when Dudley started to walk away.

"_Stupefy_"

Hermione stunned Dudley then turned back to Harry and nodded at the idea.

"Ok Dobby do you know where 12 Grimmauld Place is?" Harry asked the elf, who nodded vigorously, "Good. I need you to collect everything from there and bring it to my room."

With that, Dobby popped away.

"Harry, I'll obliviate _it_," Hermione pointed at Piers, "And let's then go." And that's exactly what she did.

The two brutes ran off leaving the three alone until they turned for home.

"BOY!" Vernon roared as soon as they entered the house.

"What?" Both Ron and Harry called in response to the summons.

"Not you! The FREAK!"

"Oh you mean him," The boy's said in unison again.

"NOT YOU! HIM!" Vernon blew his top. His face was almost black, the purple was that deep of a shade. The trio watched in amusement as Petunia tried to calm Vernon down.

"You did, _magic_, on my Dudley and Piers," Petunia screeched at the teens.

"Did you say 'do magic'? Well I'd be happy to show you," Hermione pointed her wand at the coffee table.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_"

The table rose, Petunia screamed, Dudley ran behind his mother with his hands clutching his gargantuan buttocks and Vernon passed out. Placing the table back onto the ground Hermione fell with Harry and Ron into a laughing fit.

"OUT! OUT! YOU, YOU FREAKS!" Petunia yelled whilst fanning and trying to rouse her husband.

The trio rose and went to Harry's bedroom, which was packed with shrunken boxes and items.

"Dobby issus getting everything, even mean lady portrait," Dobby pointed at the silenced Mrs Black, "Dobby said if Lady didn't quieten I would sing to her."

That sent the trio into another fit of laughter. Once they had controlled themselves they set to enlarging boxes and sorting them out. On the third box Hermione gasped and fell back into Harry's arms, "Harry show me that locket that was in the cave."

Harry passed the locket over to Hermione, who let out a whoop of joy, "We've found one!" Hermione pointed into the box at a gold locket with a snake in the shape of an 'S' on it.

"How did the Black family get it though?" Ron asked dumbly.

"Wait that's the locket we couldn't open when we cleaned out Grimmauld Place," Harry said excitedly, ignoring Ron's question.

"Hey it is. Bloody brilliant," Ron added happily.

"That issus not goods magic sirs and miss. Very bad magics in that," Dobby was cowering as far away as possible. He did not like the magical aura the locket was giving off.

"How powerful is it, Dobby?"Hermione asked moving towards the frightened elf.

"Very powerful dark magic. Mister Harry Potter and Miss Hermy have stronger. Mister Harry Potter's Wheezy is only just weaker," Dobby hid behind Hermione's leg after answering.

"Dumbledore had that ring on but the stone was cracked and I stabbed the diary with the Basilisk tooth. De we destroy it like that?" Harry asked the room.

"My Regulus bought that home one day. He told us all that the Dark Lord gave it to him. His father and I were so proud that our only son was so trusted by out master," Mrs Black spoke with a ghost of pride at her son's accomplishments.

"At least now we know who R.A.B is. How do you suppose we destroy this one Hermione?" Harry asked knowing that Hermione was a lot wiser on the academics behind making a Horcrux.

"We know a murder should occur, then a spell is cast and the soul fragment enters the object. What were your feelings when you stabbed the book, Harry?"

"Anger at Tom, fright that if I didn't ruin the book Ginny would die..." Harry was cut off by Hermione.

"Of course. The power he knows not, LOVE," Hermione looked at the boys expressions, "ARGH! You were frightened because Ginny is Ron's sister and you care for Ron. In a way your brotherly love for Ron allowed you to destroy the Horcrux."

"What about Dumbledore then?" Ron asked feeling a little dumb for not knowing the answer.

"Well whatever it was that caused that much love to defeat it, we may never know but it worked," Hermione answered annoyed that they had never asked Dumbledore while he was alive. Harry shook hi s head feeling the same way and kicking himself for never thinking Dumbledore could die.

"So we need a lot of love to destroy this one and it should be done by one or both of you two," Ron added knowing it was for the best he wasn't strong enough. Harry and Hermione looked at each other then turned back to Ron.

"Ron can I talk to you privately?" Hermione asked. The red head shrugged and followed Hermione to the other side of the room.

"What's this about Hermione?" Ron questioned thinking he already knew what she was about to say.

"You know I like you right? It's just that I only really have a sibling type love for you," Hermione stumbled on the words, wishing it was easier. To her surprise, Ron started to laugh, only to stop at the look on Hermione's face.

"Hermione, you're like my sister and I love you the same as I love Ginny. I kind of like someone else anyway. So does Harry know you love him like he loves you?" Ron started to laugh again at the look of surprise the Hermione had.

"I'll be right back," And Hermione walked calmly over to Harry. She grabbed his head and pulled him down into a kiss, much to Harry's surprise and pleasure.

"Umm, Hermione not that I don't love what you did, but why did you just kiss me?" Harry asked dumbly as his brain was currently setting off fireworks.

"I kissed you to tell you I love you more than a friend should," Hermione turned towards Ron, "You can come back over now Ron!" Ron walked back over and clapped Harry on the back.

"Didn't know she was going to do that but it put the point across. Hermione that was bloody brilliant," Ron hugged Hermione in congratulation. Harry roused out of his stupor and pulled Hermione back into his arms before passionately kissing her.

"That makes us even now Mione," Harry chuckled. Coming out of her daze, Hermione slapped Harry on the shoulder.

"That was mean Harry."

"So was what you did but hell I didn't hit you," Harry retorted with a smirk. Hermione and Ron launched themselves at Harry, tickling him until they fell to their sides laughing.

"Well we still don't know how to destroy that locket," Harry sighed annoyed.

Hermione lay her head on Harry's shoulder and thought aloud, "Dumbledore's hand was dead, most likely from putting on the ring, so if we both put on the locket and fight it together out combined love should destroy it." Both of the boys looked at her as though she had two heads.

"You want to just try and fight it? Harry can't even use magic to defend you both," Ron argued.

"Yes Ron I'm going to jump in without thinking," Hermione replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes at him, "I was thinking of doing this at Godrics Hollow or at least after Harry's birthday. Until then we research all about Horcruxes. All of the Dark Magic books from the Black family library will be a gift from Merlin."

Harry wrapped the locket in a pair of Vernon's socks and locked it in his school trunk. The trio then set about studying.


	2. July 30th

JULY 30th

"Here's something, apparently a murder isn't the only way to create a Horcrux. When the betrayal is great enough a Horcrux can be created. What does that mean with these though?"asked a stunned Ron. Hermione, for once, had no idea what it may mean.

"Let's keep looking and maybe we'll find something," Harry encouraged, his nose still in the books he was reading. Over the past few weeks that had been their day, read and eat, sleeping only when exhaustion caught up with them. Finally, it was July 30th and the trio were resting for their journey the next day.

"You know I hate this place but sometimes I long for the old days when I only had Duddikins to be afraid of. Hmm," Harry sighed then shook the thought out of his mind. "Should we start packing?"

"Harry, we're wizards, it takes us 2 seconds to pack. Well maybe more with all this stuff but still we should sleep while we have time," Ron exclaimed and to emphasise, he flopped back onto his bed and closed his eyes. A second later, snores pronounced he had fallen asleep.

"Ron... stuff it all. Harry, maybe you should say your goodbyes now because we leave at midnight," Hermione suggested while shooting a snoring Ron death glares.

"Yeah I guess I'd better. I mean they did raise me... sort of and they may be in danger once my shield stops. You want to come with?" Harry hoped she would agree as she could cast magic if anything happened.

Nodding Hermione took hold of Harry's hand and exited the room they hadn't left since arriving. Searching the top floor, the couple found it deserted so they head down the stairs.

"Lucius, shut it," A female voice whispers shrilly.

The teens stopped in their tracks, they knew who was downstairs. Quietly racing up the hallway Harry and Hermione were thinking the same thing, how did Lucius Malfoy and his sister-in-law, Bellatrix Lestrange find out where they were living. Going into the modified room, Hermione locked and charmed the door to slow the Death Eaters path while Harry woke Dobby and attempted to awaken Ron, as quietly as possible. Dobby awoke and started packing everything away with Hermione. Ron was harder to rouse.

"Ron you great lummox there are Death Eaters at our door. WAKE UP!" Harry whispered as loudly as he could. Not getting a response, Harry grabbed a glass of water and threw it onto Ron, which woke him quickly.

"Wha- what Harry?!" Ron flustered only to be dragged out of bed by his collar.

"Death Eaters is what Ron. Lestrange and Malfoy in the living room searching for us as we speak. Hurry and start packing," Harry ran to Hedwig and Pig's cage and let her and Pig out, "Got o Godrics Hollow and wait for us to come. Stay safe girl."

Opening the window, Harry noticed his uncle's car was missing and thanked Merlin for small favours. Turning back around he saw that the whole room was almost packed into the new trunks they had gotten Dobby to buy for them.

"Well go by broom to Godrics Hollow. Just stick close and out of sight," Hermione pulled out two new Nimbus 2000's and Harry's Firebolt out of a wardrobe then enlarged the room's window to accommodate them flying out.

"Dobby go somewhere safe until we call for you," Harry climbed onto his Firebolt and waited for Hermione and Ron to do the same.

Dobby looked conflicted as to what he was told to do, "Dobby wills save house from bad witch and old master. Dobby wills not leave until house is empty and backs to normal," Dobby had a stubborn look on his face.

"Ok but stay safe please, you've grown on us," Harry then had to pry Dobby off his leg, "We got to go now." Just then, a string of cursing sung out as someone was outside of the room.

"Damn, thought it would take an hour to get through that one. GO NOW!" Hermione soared through the window and waited behind the chimney for the boys, who were right on her tail, "This way fellows."

"SHIT!" Harry yelled as a purple stream passed about an inch from his head. Evasive manoeuvres helped with the spells being cast at them, luckily Hermione had taken to flying like a duck to water. Looking back, curious about the current lack of spells being flung their way, Harry could see two cloaked figures being pounded into the roof of his old house.

"Good old Dobby," Ron called out then flew into the clouds for cover, "Lucky it's an overcast day. Mad Eye would have our hides for not planning an escape plan. We should have realised they'd try something. The ward is almost down and they slipped through." Ron shook his head in annoyance at their ignorance.

Harry and Hermione felt the same annoyance but were happy they had gotten out safely. Travelling along at a good speed the trio made it to inner London in about 90 minutes.

"Diagon Alley should be safe for a minute or two. Just to get some food and water for the journey," Harry suggested warily, feeling very thirsty.

"Only a minute at the Leakey Cauldron then away again," Hermione said, not wanting to stop at all but knowing they needed food and drinks.

Landing at the rear entrance of the pub the teens were about to enter when Ron whipped out his wand and called out, "_Accio Wormtail_."

A grey rat with a silver hand came flying out through the air, "Right Peter tell me why I shouldn't kill you right this second."

The rat squeaked and started to morph back into the man who had betrayed everyone, Peter Pettigrew, "Young master what makes you think I would do anything to you, Mister Potter or Miss Granger?"

"Don't call me that RAT!" Ron hated being reminded of his ownership of said rat, "Off to tell your snake master that we're here so he can come kill us? Not going to work cause you're seeing the last faces you'll ever see." Ron pulled out his brother's pocket knife and held it against Peter's quivering throat.

"Please don't kill me. I can help you. You want Snape, right? I know where he and the Malfoy boy are. I don't want to die," Peter pled with them to spare him.

"Tell us all you know then we shall think about letting you live," Hermione agreed, "Wait, I'll know if you lie so don't even think about it."

Peter nodded then started his tale,

"After killing Dumbledore, Snape and Malfoy went on the run from not only the light but the dark side also. _Draco_ was to kill the old fool, not _Snape_ and the Dark Lord was plenty pissed at Severus for what he did. He has had me as his servant for the past year so I know of where he has the boy. If Draco dies though, so shall Snape because Narcissa made him make an Unbreakable Vow to keep the boy alive. Snape always had the theory to keep his friends close but his enemies closer. There was no one he kept closer the him than Lily and James so when they bought Godrics Hollow he bought the house next door, called Spinners End. That is where you'll find him and the Malfoy boy. He doesn't have it under Fidelius either so it'll be easy enough for you to find. Now do I get let go?"

"Are you still the secret keeper for my parents old place?" Harry asked the little wizard.

"Yes wh-," Peter was cut off as Hermione slit his throat with an altered Severing charm. Blood sprayed out covering Ron, who was still holding the severed head of his old pet.

"HERMIONE!?" Ron screamed dropping the head and vomiting on top of it. After he had emptied his stomach, Ron was still a violent shade of green.

"It had to be done so we can make a new secret keeper. Harry couldn't use his wand and I really hated that rat. Now let's eat," Hermione walked over the body and through the door to the pub.

Going up and saying hello to Tom, the innkeeper, Hermione ordered sandwiches and Butterbeer. Ron and Harry were slower so when they reached Hermione at the table she had already eaten a sandwich and had half a Butterbeer remaining.

"Ergh! Hermione how can you eat after that? I didn't even do it and I feel horrible," Ron held his stomach but yelped when he noticed he was covered in blood. Hermione transfigured an empty bottle into a bin for him to puke into.

"Clean him up Hermione," Harry asked while reaching for a ham and cheese. Cracking open a Butterbeer, Harry sighed at the wonderful taste he'd gone without for ages.

"Right, that's better. Chuck us a bottle will ya Harry?" Caught one handed the drink was readily emptied and another took it's spot.

"I was very happy with the effectiveness of that charm. Same one that you hit Draco with last term only I modified it to suit a quick and quiet death. Thought it would help in the war," Hermione said the last bit quietly because even though the war was common knowledge it was still a testy subject it discuss in public.

"When did you get a chance to do that? We've been in those books all holidays, wait, do you have another time turner?" Ron was getting suspicious, Hermione had hidden the last one she had been given in 3rd year.

"Ha! I wish. No I wouldn't sleep, lived off coffee and getting Dobby to jolt me awake when I dozed off. Had to actually order him to after he left me sleep a few times."

"HERMIONE!" Harry and Ron yelled at her for doing such a risky thing.

"I'm fine now but we need to head off again before we get too much attention," Hermione paid the tab, said goodbye to Tom and left the pub out the back.

"Too bad we don't have any way to get this back to old Voldie. Well we had better get rid of him," Harry pointed to the body that rats were already gnawing away at.

Hermione transfigured it into a piece of steak, which the rats threw themselves onto. Up into the sky again on the end run to Godrics Hollow. Luckily, it was only 2 hours west of Diagon Alley.

Landing in a clearing, surrounded by forest, near their destination, Hermione shrank their brooms and placed them into her backpack, "We'll go north through this forest then we'll be in your old backyard, so this way boys and try to stay unnoticed please."


	3. July 30th Still

JULY 30th STILL

After about 20 minutes, the forest thinned and a large property appeared before them.

"Wow, Harry I didn't know you lived in such a great place. I thought it was destroyed when Voldemort attacked," Ron was awed at the two-storey Victorian era cottage with a huge acreage backyard.

"So did I, Dumbledore must have redone the shell at least. We need to get this place secure before we do anything. Hermione, you find out what we need to do for a Fidelius as the first charm while Ron and I clear the house and stable for any strays that are needed to be dealt with," Harry said getting his wand at the ready, even if he couldn't use it legally yet.

"Ok but if you get into trouble called Dobby for help, we can't afford for you to get into strife with the Ministry," Hermione ordered whilst throwing herself into her backpack, obviously in search of a book.

The boys nodded, even though their friend wouldn't see it, and went to check out the house and land. The stable was cleared and they found it was large enough for a dragon, then head up to the house. It was only a shell, not even having the floor for the second story in there, but luckily there were no uninvited visitors lurking around waiting to attack. The pair head back to their friend.

Hermione had heard the boys leave but was still searching for the rare and expensive book she had found in the Black library. When Dobby had returned with the hundreds of books, Hermione was surprised that there was so many because she was certain that Molly Weasley had removed all of the dangerous books. Apparently she was wrong, would need to ask Dobby to see if he knew.

Finally, the witch found the book she had been searching for and pulled herself out in time to find Harry and Ron walking back to her. Flipping through it, Hermione got to the page containing the Fidelius Charm and read it aloud for the boys.

"We need 4 casters, each standing at the property line of the house and chanting the spell, then once that is all done we all convene back in the exact centre and the naming ceremony of the secret keeper is to be completed."

"But we only have three here," Ron stated dumbly.

Harry and Hermione thought the same thing, "Idiot."

"Dobby," Harry called out, hoping that he was done at Privet Drive.

*POP*

"Yessus, Master Harry Potter."

"Would you like to be the fourth caster in a Fidelius Charm and then the Secret Keeper for Godrics Hollow?" Harry asked the house elf, kneeling to his height.

Dobby started to tear up, "I woulds be proud to be the secrets keeper for Master Harry Potter."

The elf and teen hugged before Harry stood back up and turned to Hermione expectantly, "What next then Mione?"

Hermione laid out the plans for the house plot, keeping under cover and away from Spinners End for the moment before sending her friends on their way. To make sure they chanted at the same time, the witch had placed a Protean Charm on several pieces of parchment and would signal to state the chant when it appeared.

Arriving at her destined spot, Hermione pulled out the master copy of the parchment and held it while giving the boys and elf a moment to get to their spots. While waiting, the witch looked around to get a lay of the land. From where she was there was nothing else she could see but thick forest, a good thing for the trio and elf but bad when wanting to search for a common enemy. Figuring she had given the boys enough time, Hermione tapped the parchment with her wand and it sent the spell to her comrades.

'_Fidelius Protego Totalum_' Was chanted from the four and a shot of magic went around the property line.

They all then proceeded to run to the centre of the property, about 10 yards from the barn. Once all there Hermione had Harry and Dobby hold hands, which she then wrapped with a gold ribbon and once again chanted the charm. A golden light covered the elf and teen, but drew the other teens into darkness.

"I issus telling yous that this issus Godrics Hollow," Dobby stated clearly and the whole area come back into view for Hermione and Ron.

"It worked," Ron smiled stupidly.

Harry groaned at his friend's idiocy but laughed when Hermione whacked him hard around the back of the head, "HEY!"

"You dare doubt me? Ronald Bilius Weasley I will hurt you the next time you doubt my magic aptitude," Hermione yelled at her friend, who was shying away from the angry witch.

"Yeah hurt me even more and I'll end up dead," Ron mumbled but was smiling in apology at the witch.

The trio and Dobby walked up to the shell of a house, Hermione talking to the elf about how to do the house up all the way there. Entering their new home, the witch gasped as it was worse than she had been planning for. Diving into her bag once more in search of another book, Hermione quickly returned with an extremely thin textbook.

"Dumbledore's Guide to Home Renovations? I didn't know Professor Dumbledore wrote a book," Harry stated as he looked through the book, flipping the pages slowly as he tried to remember some of the wand movement and incantations.

"Not Albus Dumbledore, Aberforth, the Headmaster's brother. Professor Dumbledore gave this to me last term, he probably figured we'd be coming here at some stage or another and would need to fix the place up," Hermione explained to the stunned teens.

Ron grabbed the book and flipped to the back cover, gasping in shock when he noticed the face there, "The Hogs Head owner? I didn't know that that was Dumbledore's brother. Wait, I thought Aberforth was mad and in love with a goat, how could he be the headmaster's brother?"

Hermione sighed, "Look, you of all people should know how inbred the pureblood families have gotten. Maybe the professor's parents were closer than acceptable in blood and it caused a malfunction in Aberforth's mind but he is a very talented wizard, just odd. Not that Professor Dumbledore wasn't odd in his own way."

At that the teens and Dobby nodded, each having been annoyed by the deceased wizard at one stage or another during their time in his presence. Having Ron and Harry sit and Ron practice his transfiguration while creating furniture, Hermione and Dobby started to fix the house up.

By nightfall the witch and house elf had turned the two storey shell into a 5 storey Victorian cottage. There were 30 rooms, 10 bathrooms, a huge but half empty library, potions lab, lounge with working floo system, war room, kitchen and massive dining room. Also Hermione had added a dungeon underneath the house, only accessible by the teens and house elf, for any prisoners they may capture and want to interrogate. Once done Hermione was exhausted but pleased with the work she and Dobby had done.

"So how have you boys gone?" The witch asked, walking from the kitchen, where Dobby was packing away the food he had gone out and bought for their dinner, into the lounge.

Harry and Ron were sitting on different sides of the room, Ron with a pile of well done but simple furniture in front of him. Of course Harry was practicing the wand movements, without a wand, and saying the incantations, but until tomorrow he could do nothing to help the actual process.

"Well done Ron, we can use these in the dungeon. Now keep making them, we need about 30 for the cells. Dobby can place them in there once you're done. Harry keep watching and studying, I'm going to furnish our rooms then the dining room."

Hermione had created three master bedroom for them, her in the middle, Harry to her right and Ron to her left, each with an ensuite and walk in robe. After furnishing each of them she then went and made a huge dining table, 30 chairs and two benches for any visiting half-giants that they may have. Seating herself at one of the three chairs at the head of the table, the witch place her head on her arms, which were resting on the table and drifted off to sleep.


	4. Later July 30th

LATER JULY 30th

"Let's leave her sleep Ron," A concerned Harry said, not wanting to rouse the sleeping beauty that was Hermione Granger.

"No way, I had to be woken up whenever she wanted now it's payback time," Ron argued back, wanting nothing more than to douse the sleeping witch with freezing cold water.

"You issus not wanting to do that Mater Wheezy, Mistress Hermy is awake and issus listening to yous talking," Dobby explained while he carried out a large plate of food, and had several more following him in the air.

"Hey Dobby. I hope you didn't do anything major for dinner, you worked really hard already today," Hermione yawned while picking her head up from the table.

The elf grinned at her and winked, "I issus not tired Mistress Hermy, I issus wanting Masters and Mistress to eats and get their energy back ups."

Harry and Ron took the other two seats at the head of the table and started to devour the food placed before them, only Harry was more distinguished about it than Ron was. Hermione smiled and thanked Dobby for the food then set into eating the high energy grub.

"Dobby, would you like to sit and have something to eat too?" Harry asked politely between bites of his pork chops.

The elf started to cry but nodded and sat at the table with the teens. When he didn't touch the food though, the witch and wizards, well really just Harry as Ron was too engrossed in his food to notice, got concerned.

"What wrong Dobby?" Asked Hermione, putting her knife and fork down beside her plate.

The house elf wrung his hands before slamming his head against the table, hard. Hermione and Harry leapt up and restrained the elf, who started to talk, "I issus nots a goods elf. I have beens lying too Masters and Mistress. I issus havings help with everything we'ves been doing."

This shocked the trio and Ron asked the shaking elf, "Who has been helping you Dobby?"

*POP*

Another green elf, only smaller and female popped into the room and instantly the trio knew another elf was going to become theirs, "Hello Winky."

Winky bowed to the ground as she popped in, "We issus very sorry Mistress and Masters but we issus needing to be togethers."

Hermione walked over and pulled the elf up from the ground then she saw the reason they needed to be together. Winky's abdomen was slightly swollen from an apparent pregnancy, "Oh WINKY!"

The house elf cringed and started to cry but that stopped when Hermione hugged her tightly, carefully keeping away from the bump. Ron and Harry went and congratulated Dobby for his impending fatherhood.

"Thankyous Masters and Mistress buts aren't yous angry that we decieveds yous?" Dobby asked carefully.

All three of the trio shook their heads hard, "Dobby how could you think that. You could have just asked and we would have taken Winky on as our house elf at the same time as we took you. Now you shall both be needing a room so how about you go pick one on the top floor so we can be nearby you?"

Dobby broke down, as did Winky, at Hermione's words and they hugged the trio and then each other, then the trio again, "Thankyous Masters and Mistress. Yous don't needs to take Winky as own elf though assus she issus married to mesa and that means she issus yours through me."

This was a surprised, albeit a pleasant one, because they hadn't been told that the two elves had been wed, "Well we need to hold a party and Winky, you need to stay off your feet so I'm going to do something I never thought I would. I'm going to order you NOT to do any housework except get your room ready for the baby."

Hermione smiled at her love at his insistence that the pregnant elf do nothing that could harm the child. Winky seemed to argue within herself but smiled, slightly, at her master before racing and hugging his leg softly, "Thankyous Master Harry, I issus knowing that this issus best for our baby."

Dobby hugged his wife and the trio could see the love that flowed between the two of them. It was touching and beautiful to them. Hermione had been meaning to ask harry something and thought that now was the perfect time to do so.

"Harry?"

"Hmm?"

"I was thinking that maybe we should get uniforms for Dobby, and now Winky. Seeing as they are our employees and employees should always get uniforms. I even have a design made up, maybe that could be something for Winky to do."

Harry thought it over for a second and realised that the elves may just like being acknowledged as the employees of the great Harry Potter, "Ok. That alright with you both?"

Winky and Dobby nodded warily, not knowing if getting clothes was a good thing yet."

Hermione noticed their wariness, "If we were going to fire you we would tell you not give you clothing. This would be a uniform that you could wear with pride and Winky, you can design it however you want."

Winky smiled, "I issus likings to sew but old master wouldn't let me, I always having to look after hims and not sew."

"Then how about the two of you go and pick out a bedroom and get it all ready for yourselves, then you can work out what material you will need and Dobby can go buy some for you so you can get started. I would like you to each have 5 sets each and they are to be made with a good materials, not cheap stuff. You are employees of mine and that means you need to dress accordingly," Harry explained passionately, wanting better for his friends and family than he himself had growing up.

The elves hugged the trio again before popping off to do what was asked of them. The teens finished their dinner before deciding to go pass out in bed. Hermione and Harry let Ron go to his room and after a few moments they heard the telltale snores of their best friend dead to the world. The pair were standing silently in the corridor between Harry's and Hermione's room doors, awkward about what should happen. During the month since they moved into the Dursley's they had never had much chance to progress their relationship other than a kiss here and there, and holding hands or playing footsy under the desk. Now they were alone and had no immediate threat over their heads and they had no idea what to do.

"So"

"Yeah so"

"You want to come inside?" Harry opened his door as he asked the question.

Hermione had to think hard about the consequences that could come out of her accepting the offer. Harry picked up on her nervous hesitation and tried to put her at ease, "Just to talk, nothing more."

"Ok, just talk," Hermione entered the room and to keep her at ease, Harry politely left the door open for an easy escape, should she need one.

They sat on the wizard's bed and looked at the other's eyes. Slowly they reached out and held hands, just as the school children they should be would. Unfortunately, for them, they weren't normal school kids and they knew that their chances of being adults were very compromised. That's why Hermione had been hesitant because she knew that their need to do everything before the final battle, or before attacking the Horcruxes, was very strong.

"Well I better be going to bed, we have a big day tomorrow. Goodnight Harry," Hermione leant in and lightly kissed the wizard on the lips, meaning only to be slightly passionate but ending up as a full out French kiss.

"Mmm, Harry, I really need some sleep," Hermione pushed herself away, reluctantly, and left the wizard sitting alone, on his bed as she left the room.

"Night Mione," Harry whispered after her and stripped to his shorts, then laid under the sheets, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Hermione quickly made her way into her room and dressed for bed, before she could change her mind and go back to ravage Harry. She got comfortable in bed and was, too, soon asleep.


	5. July 31st

JULY 31st

Hermione awoke early and got dressed and ready for the day as quietly as possible, not wanting to awaken the teen boy to her right. Everyone deserved a sleep-in when they turned 17 and were of legal age, well in the wizarding world at least. Walking downstairs, the witch was surprised though that the wizard in question was already awake and practicing his transfiguration skills on a lage pile of stones.

"Harry James Potter what are you doing up so early?"

The wizard cringed but smiled sheepishly, "I woke up and decided that seeing as we have another 26 rooms to furnish I should get a head start on my transfiguration skills. Ron up yet?"

Hermione shook her head but was astonished at the quality of her friends work, "How long have you been practicing for Harry?"

"Oh, about 30 minutes, why? Is it that bad?"

"No, it's brilliant actually. You really are a talented wizard Harry, you just need to keep your mind on what you are learning and not be strayed by foolish games during studying."

Harry grinned before banishing the beds he had made and started again, this time creating a perfect king bed, "Gets easier every time."

The witch laughed at the wizard, "Never heard of the saying that practice makes perfect? It does get easier each and every time. By the way Happy Birthday Harry."

Harry chuckled and held his arms out for his customary birthday hug. Hermione did him one better and threw herself at him, giving him a huge kiss while they lay on the ground. That was the sight Ron walked in on, bleary eyed from his recent consciousness.

"URGH, didn't need to see that any time soon. Happy Birthday mate but yuck."

Hermione pulled herself off her boyfriend and helped him get off the floor, "I was just saying Happy Birthday to him myself Ronald."

"Yeah, Ronald," Harry joked, earning him a whack in the arm by said wizard.

"You sound like my mother when you do that. What's for breakfast? I'm starved."

The trio walked into the dining room to find a huge group of owls and presents awaiting them, "Wow."

The trio started to untie the packages and placing them into piles, they were going to get Dobby to seek through them to be sure there were no dangerous ones in there before opening them. In total there were close to 100 piled onto the table, they were luck Hermione had planned for a large gathering in the future.

"Dobby issus servings breakfast for Master Harry Potter's birthday," Dobby entered the room with a full English breakfast on each plate, minus the blood sausage on Hermione's and Harry's.

"Thank Merlin," Ron dove right into his food while Hermione and Harry asked Dobby to search the packages but to be very careful about it.

"Okays Master and Mistress."

Once the trio were done with breakfast, Dobby had gone through the packages and the worst he had found was a howler, from Mrs Weasley, that had exploded through the meal.

"HARRY, HERMIONE, RONALD! HAVE YOU ALL GONE MAD? FIGHTING LESTRANGE AND MALFOY, YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE NOW OR ELSE!"

The Weasley matriarch was pissed but not enough so to forget to send a present along with the Howler. A wand cloth, hand woven with a lion pattern in it. Harry used it that moment to polish his wand, which had been scratched and battered through the battle at Hogwarts but not buffed since just before then.

"Cool, she gave me when I turned 17 too," Ron said, making Harry think that it was a family tradition.

"Well it was very nice of her to do that," Hermione had also gotten one, only with a pile of books and an owl on hers.

Harry set into going through the remainder of the presents sent to him. He got a wand holster with the initials J.P. on it from Remus Lupin, causing Harry to tear up. A book on animagus training from Minerva McGonagall, the teens new headmistress, which also included a plea for the teens to return to school for their last term in a month. Rubeus Hagrid and Madame Olympe Maxime had sent a joint present of a thick text on every magical animal known. Neville Longbottom, a fellow Gryffindor, sent a book on Herbology plants, Ginny had sent a broom care kit.

The Weasley twins must have thought Harry needed help in his love life and had sent a sample every contraceptive item love potion in their store. This caused Hermione to blush and Ron to choke on the air he was breathing. The wizard slapped his mate on his back until he was breathing again then went back to opening his pressies.

Luna Lovegood had sent a note stating that he had gotten a yearly subscription to the Quibbler, her father's publication. There were tonnes of sweets from his friends at Hogwarts, all accompanied with sympathy notes at the loss of Dumbledore, they all knew that he had been there when the murder happened. A wedding invite was a joint present to the trio, Fleur and Bill were going through with the marriage even after Bill being ravaged by Fenrir Greyback, a vicious werewolf. They had been told, through a letter from Molly, that he hadn't changed during his first full moon but was still very temperamental, just as Remus was.

Charlie had sent a simple note stating that any dragon hide they need was at their command, just to see Griphook, the goblin in charge of the dragons at Gringotts. That pleased the trio as they were going to purchase dragon hide armour to wear at all times under their normal clothing. Tonks had sent a magical sonogram and a note stating that she was 12 weeks pregnant with Remus' cub. They were going to get married after the birth.

"Excellent."

Kingsley had sent a book on defensive and offensive spells that any auror to be should know off heart. Alastor Moody had sent Harry a box of vials containing memories and a note saying that they were his of Dumbledore and Harry's parents from when he knew them.

They got to the last of the pile and it was a scroll of parchment with the official Gringotts seal pressed in blue wax. Harry broke the seal and read out what was written down,

"Mister Potter, Mister Weasley, and Miss Granger,

I have the sad duty of reading the will of Lord Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore on the 1st of August at midday. Please be there as you are each in the will and we need you to take control of your inheritances.

Congratulations on turning 17 Mister Potter.

Sincerely,

Ragnok

Goblin in banking."

"Well that's nice of him to say something about your birthday Harry," Hermione said, keeping away from the subject of the will reading.

"Yeah it is," Ron stated quietly, hearing his voice break at the sadness in it.

Harry just sat there and thought about the next day and what it will bring. Just as he was getting depressed, Dobby walked in with a present in his hands.

"I issus sorry about not beings earlier buts here Master Harry Potter," The elf passed Harry the present and the wizard smiled down happily.

"Oh Dobby you didn't have to give me anything."

The elf stood wringing his hands in anticipation as Harry unwrapped the neatly wrapped package. In the package was a photo album but Harry couldn't place the leather that it was wrapped in. Flipping through the pages, the wizard noted that every photo contained one of the golden trio. There was stuff from back on the train their first year at Hogwarts, before Harry had even met Dobby.

"How?" Was all the wizard could ask.

"I issus borrowing memories from sleeping friends and then usings my owns in some of pictures. I issus being careful to remove deceiving man who was rottens rat."

Harry placed the album down on the table carefully before pulling the elf into a huge hug, "Thankyou Dobby, this is the best present I could have gotten."

The elf and golden trio were all crying at that point. It took a moment before the group were able to pull away from the sadness and Harry looked back at the album, noting the odd leather again.

"Dobby what material is that?"

Dobby grinned and bobbed on the balls of his feet, "It issus giant skin, cured, pulled and turned into leather. Dobby's friend Grawp knews of a dead giant and I issus stealing some of his skin."

Hermione gasped, "That is very expensive and rare, not to mention dangerous to get. Where was the dead giant?"

"In mountains of France, in large lake. I issus needing to go carefully because Death Eaters were all arounds. They issus very friendly with giant Gurg called Golgomath, he is very dangerous."

"Damnit we need to get the giants on our side. Hermione, do you know of any other giant colonies on the mainland?" Harry asked, not slightly bothered about where the leather had come from now.

"I don't know of any other than the one that Hagrid and Olympe went to but I can search for some. Maybe Grawp knows of some, Dobby can you ask him today if he knows of any?" Hermione paced around the end of the table they were sitting at, impatiently.

Ron looked scared at the idea of going anywhere near a giant colony, "Wait you want to go to a giant colony, even after what happened to Hagrid and Madame Maxime last time? And what happens if Hagrid finds another baby brother?"

The couple could only shrug because it was better than having only 1 whole giant and 2 half-breed giants on their side if Voldemort had a whole colony on his side. It was a risk that was needed because it would take many people to take down just one full grown giant and they just didn't have the man power to deal with them.

"Lupin needs to go to the werewolves on the mainland too and grab as many as possible to join our cause. Should we talk to a vampire too?" Harry asked Hermione and Ron.

"Yes" Hermione.

"No" Ron

The pair glared at each other and harry knew he had better out a kink in the fight now, "We'll think about it but they would need to stick to donated blood only, no live feed."

Hermione grinned, knowing that she could get her way whenever she wanted. Ron seemed sated but shot Hermione a little glare from the side, hoping Harry didn't see it.

"Now we have work to do. There are so many charms we need to place around the property then set up recon on next door, see if we can catch ourselves a bat," Hermione had never seemed more dedicated than she was right now.

Seeing as Dobby had already gone to talk to Grawp, the boys were sent to create a bird's eye viewpoint in the tallest and closest tree to the western house, Spinners End. Hermione went to be sure Winky was fine, as she was, and then set to guarding the house and property.

It was after midday by the time the boys had returned but they were pleased that they had gotten the best spot possible. Hermione walked in to find her two best friends sitting and eating sandwiches while talking it up with Dobby and Winky.

"Nice of you to come and help out boys, now move it, I'm starved," For once Hermione didn't keep her manners in check and dove right in.

"We were talking to Winky and Dobby about the gestation period for house elves. Apparently it is the same as humans but they are more prone to multiple births," Harry explained to his hungry friend.

"That is interesting, have you gotten a sonagram yet Winky?"

The elf gasped, "We issus not allowed to have Healer use his talents on a lowly house elf."

"You damn well will while you are in our employ. Maybe Madame Pomfrey can pull some strings at St Mungo's and get a magical ultrasound machine at Hogwarts," Ron said, outraged and confusing his friends.

"When did you get so gung-ho about the well being of house elves Ron?" Harry asked astonished.

"They're a magical race too and should be treated as such, not like slaves. I guess Hermione and SPEW rubbed off on me a little but it is the truth."

Hermione and Harry grinned and knew that now Ron had an idea on what the house elves went through. This pleased them and also it pleased the house elves themselves as they had noticed that at first Ron was treating them just as others had, only kinder.

"How far along are you Winky?"

"15 weeks Mistress," Winky stated proudly and she rubbed her little baby bump.

"Well you look about right for a single birth but that could just be my eyesight, still we should get a sonogram to be certain that there is one or if there is more," Hermione said, "I'll send off an owl to Madame Pomfrey now, if I can find something to write with and on."

Dobby popped off quickly and returned with a few lengths of parchment, an inkwell and quill, "Yous should tell Missus Wheezy where yous are, or that yous are safe. I cans give it to her and tells her where yous are if Mistress and Masters wishes."

"Thankyou Dobby, maybe we should tell her where we are. I'll write, simply, that you will tell her where we are. I should do that to the Order members too," Hermione set to writing the note that she would then duplicate to tell everyone what Dobby was doing. Once she did that, the witch rolled them all up and added on Professor McGonagall's to create a portkey for Hagrid and Olympe to arrive by, the floo would never hold them.

"Here Dobby, one to each of the Order members and also the twins, Ginny, Luna Lovegood, and Neville Longbottom. Be sure that no one but them hear you. Plus this letter for Madame Pomfrey please, she can also be told. I forbid you to go to Severus Snape's place though, he is no longer a member of the Order of the Phoenix."

Dobby nodded and head off to go to complete the immense task before him, but not before carrying his pregnant wife up to their room to rest. Hermione smiled and then turned back to her friends, "I finished the wards but used a special one that prevents anyone but those that know of the place to apparate in or out, very cool if you ask me."

Ron looked oddly at the witch but Harry thought it was pretty cool that they could leave and arrive via apparition instead of using floo or portkey, which left him on his arse every time he use those modes.

"So what now?" Harry asked politely to the still eating witch.

"We set out a schedule of what we intend on doing for the next month at least," Hermione pulled a fresh piece of parchment towards her and wrote while she ate, "Tell me what you each think we should be learning and we'll put it down."

"Exercise, no offence but we are all in horrible shape. At least twice a day, morning and night we should go for runs, or use exercise equipment. I need my apparition licence, so that's something I should practice before trying for. We can use that new book I got today and learn to become animagi, though that could take a while," Harry listed everything he wanted to learn.

"I need to read more on offensive manoeuvring if we intend on planning any attacks at anytime soon. A map of the United Kingdom, we can pinpoint the Death Eater attacks on that, try and work out where they'll hit next. We need to get the Order formed quickly before the Death Eaters can start even harder in their attacking," Ron stated, using his quick and skilled in offensive attacking to help them.

"Right, now we need to master Occlumency and Legilimency, no more having the enemy knowing what we are doing before we do it. Learning everything from Defence Against the Dark Arts and Charms that they have planned for us this year will go a long way then start up on the harder stuff. Once we have learnt everything we can from that we will then move onto the dark magic."

Hermione was cut off by the uproar of Ron, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN DARK MAGIC?!"

"Ron, we need to know what's coming at us when in the battle field so yes we will be learning dark magic and if you don't like it then leave," Hermione yelled back at her friend.

"HOLD IT!" Harry finished the bickering between the two of them, "Ron, we need to know these things but we don't need to use them against another, just know them in case they are thrown at us and we can counter them. Ok?"

"Fine"

"Hermione what about the Horcruxes?" Harry asked calmly, trying to lower his blood pressure.

"We seek and destroy only after learning how to do so safely," Hermione stated.

"Good now let's start with the apparition training, we can go get my licence tomorrow if I am good enough by this afternoon," Harry stood and head for the door.


	6. July 31st Still

JULY 31st STILL

They were done pretty quickly as Harry seemed a natural for that particular mode of transport but it was lucky that they were because no sooner had they entered the house the floo fire turned green, signalling an imminent arrival.

The trio pulled their wands, just to be careful but slowly put them away when they saw the redhead of a Weasley. Molly Weasley to be exact, soon followed by Arthur, the patriarch, and Ginny.

"MUM?" Ron questioned loudly before being pulled into a bear hug like none other.

"My Ronnikins, oh you scared me so badly my baby boy," Molly was in full mother mode and no one could stop her.

"Molly leave the poor boy alone, he is legal and has been for nearly a year now," Arthur pried his wife off his son but wasn't quick enough to catch her away from Hermione and Harry.

"Hi Mrs Weasley," They squeaked out through the hug that was removing the air from their lungs.

"Oh you two are as bad as Ronald."

Molly finally let go and soon enough the couple were strong enough to breathe again. Ginny was standing to the side, she hadn't wanted to go but now she was certain she wanted to go home. She wasn't the only one to notice their encased hands but it didn't seem Molly minded much.

"Hey Ginny," Hermione said, pulling her hand free from Harry's for the moment.

"Hello Hermione," Ginny said coldly.

"Hi Ginny," Harry was certain something bad was going to happen, you could have cut the tension with a knife.

"Harry, I see you moved on quickly."

"Ginerva Molly Weasley, don't make me tell them who has been around everyday this holidays just to see you. Behave, just because they have found each other in this time of war doesn't mean they were trying to hurt you," Molly warned her daughter.

Ginny smiled slightly, remembering the boy who was trying so hard to get together with her this past summer, "Fine, I'm happy for the both of you. I mean it, I really do."

Hermione went over and hugged her friend tightly, "Thankyou Ginny, now dish, who is he?"

"Neville"

"LONGBOTTOM?! I'LL KILL HIM IF HE TOUCHED YOU!" Ron blew up but that earned him a whack from each of the other people in the room, "Hey!"

"Just because he likes me doesn't mean he touched me and even if he did, what makes you think I don't want him to?" Ginny asked her brother.

"He's 17 and you're my little sister, he should know better."

"Oh really well then I better not tell you about the witch that shows up every other day wanting to talk to me about her admiration of one Ronald Bilius Weasley."

"WHO? Who?"

Ginny laughed and whispered into Hermione's then Harry's ear, causing them to chuckle along with her and her parents, who were also in on the secret. This caused Ron to turn the colour of his hair in annoyance.

"TELL ME!"

"Luna Lovegood."

Ron had to sit down, mainly from shock but a little because the blood had rushed from his face too quickly and now he was light headed. Never before has he thought that the one he loved would ever love him back but, apparently she did and now he could do something about it.

"Yippee, I've got to owl her, where's Pig?" Ron raced out of the room and house in search of the owl who was probably in the barn.

The group remaining looked at each other but soon knew they would have to leave, "You all keep safe and know that the wedding is next week so you had better be there."

The trio got a round of hugs and waved goodbye to the Weasley adults and youngest. The golden trio sat themselves down in the plush couches and armchairs that Harry had transfigured that morning to sit on. Hermione was impressed with the quality of work that was coming out of her boyfriend, it was as good as hers.

"So what now?" Ron asked Hermione and Harry.

"Well it's close to dinner so let's see what how Dobby's doing," Hermione hopped up and went into the kitchen.

Dobby was there and cooking, without actually doing any movements, and was giving Winky a foot massage, "Oh hello Mistress and Masters how issus yous doing?"

Hermione smiled at the couple, "We're fine Dobby, how are your feet doing Winky?"

"A little swollen Mistress buts Dobby's takings care of it," The elf sighed in relief and grinned at her love.

"So how is dinner going?" Ron asked as his stomach growled at everyone.

Dobby stopped for a moment and turned to check on the concoctions cooking away, "Issus done Master Wheezy would yous like Dobby to brings it out for yous?"

Ron shook his head, "No but can you plate it for us? We can take it out ourselves."

The elf nod and snapped his fingers, before going back to his wife's feet. At the snap, the pots on the stove were cleaned and the food was all on different plates, ready to be taken away. The trio grabbed one each and used their wands to levitate the rest into the dining room. The elf couple followed soon after as they needed to talk to their masters and mistress.

"I issus talkings to Grawp today. He issus saying that there issus another colony of giants in northern Ireland, nears a magical community calleds Tyrone. They haves been a nuisance fightings amongst each other and causing the muggles nears them to fights too," Dobby explained to the feasting teens.

"We can ask Hagrid and Madame Maxime to go again but what are we going to give them as a gift? We can't give them a gift like Dumbledore did, so what are we going to give them to give the giants?" Ron was sceptical about getting friendly with giants, Grawp was bad enough and he was tiny compare to some of the others, or so he had been told.

"Hagrid and Olympe can help pick the gifts for them, and help us make them, but we really need to get the other giants off Voldemort's side," Harry was passionate about that fact.

The group thought while they all ate but none could work out a good enough way to get rid of the Death Eaters and giant problem. Dobby left the room after dinner, under the pretence of removing the dishes and returned with a HUGE birthday cake.

"Happy Birthday Master Harry Potter!" Dobby and Winky called out.

Harry smiled widely and felt a tear build up in the corner of his eye at the thought that must have gone into trying to surprise him like this. And it surprised more than him, Hermione an Ron were too, Ron was mainly just drooling at the chocolate icing that seemed inch thick around the cake.

"Once Master Potter issus cutting we issus sending little cakes to his friends. Here Master," Winky carefully passed Harry a large knife and deftly sliced through the thick cake.

The trio and elves laughed for the rest of the night and ate until their belly's were ready to explode, while all around the continent different people were receiving little cakes all stating Happy Birthday Harry Potter.


	7. August 1st

AUGUST 1st

"WAKE UP!" Was how the golden trio awoke the next morning.

"ARGH" From Harry

"Oh Merlin," From Hermione

"OOMPH" From Ron as he fell off his bed from fright

See in the twins present there was also an oddly shaped alarm clock that Harry had set for 6am so they could get to the Ministry early, and then go to the will reading, that none of them truly wanted to go to.

Harry leapt up and whacked the screaming alarm and set about getting ready for the long day. Deciding to just dress in plain old robes, the wizard was shocked to find brand new robes hanging in his wardrobe with a note stating he had better wear them or else. Shrugging, Harry to them with him into the bathroom and got ready for the day by having a long and hot shower.

Hermione was already awaking when the alarm went off so she wasn't as surprised when the large voice bellowed through their rooms. Knowing they wouldn't be jogging today, the witch got out new robes, with the same threatening note, and went to shower herself.

Ron had been pleasantly stroking Luna Lovegood's body when she suddenly opened her mouth and loudly bellowed, "WAKE UP," in his ear. Grumbling and grouching, the wizard walked over and pulled out the first robes he saw, which luckily for him were the ones that had been placed there. He then made his way, clumsily, to the ensuite for a shower to try and wake him the rest of the way up.

The trio met up at the dining table and ate a quick breakfast in silence before apparating to the Ministry's atrium, Hermione took Harry side-along. They weighed their wands and head towards the elevators when a voice called out for them.

"Hey guys," Neville Longbottom raced up to the teens and they were shocked to see what had been happening since leaving school only a month prior.

The Neville Longbottom that they knew was shorter than Harry, pudgy and pimply. This Neville was a total turn around though. He seemed to have grown nearly a foot, now reaching 6"7', with muscles and a chiselled jaw that was lightly covered with a 5 o'clock shadow.

"Wow Nev, what happened to you?" Ron stared at the young man as though he had never seen him before.

"Oh you noticed, well I just grew a little and I started to exercise more so the muscles came in. I figured I'm that bad at wand work that maybe I'll take down some Death Eaters muggle style," Neville blushed at the attention he was receiving from his friends.

Hermione shushed her friend, "You are great at wand work, you could just use some help here and there. Are you here for your apparition licence?"

The wizard nodded so the group finished the trip to the lifts. Entering the lift they were the only ones in there, but the few paper airplanes floating above their heads meant that they would probably have company at some stage. Luckily, they only had to go 2 floors down and there weren't that many people that entered.

Walking up to front desk Harry stuck to the back and let Neville talk to the witch receptionist, "Hello, my friend and I have just turned 17 and need to go for our apparition licences."

The witch seemed dazed for a moment before closing her mouth and nodding them through a door to her right, "Only those needing their licence though."

Harry pecked Hermione goodbye, much to the dislike of the reception witch, and walked with Neville through the door. Inside was a wizard and a chair.

"Good morning boys, now if you would please follow me," The wizard walked them to a nearly invisible door and allowed the teens to enter first. Inside was another chair.

"Now I'm Mervin Grahams and I will be testing you today. All you need to do is apparate from this chair to the other next door and you pass. Ahh Mister Potter you first please."

Harry hated that he hadn't given the man their names yet he knew what his was instantly, but he sat on the chair and thought hard about the chair next door. A pulling through tube affect and Harry was once again seated in a chair, only he was alone now.

"Very good, now move for Mister Longbottom," Harry heard from the next room.

A second after he was up and out of the chair, Neville showed up, all in one piece too. The boys stood silently while they awaited their tester to re-enter the room with their results.

"Very good both of you, barely a sound from you both. No missing limbs or anything left behind so that means you both passed," Mervin pulled out two licences and tapped the both with his wand, then handed them to the boys.

The licences were just like those of the muggles and their driving ones. A photo and current statistics on the licensee. Harry was so proud that he had passed and couldn't wait to tell everyone, but then he remembered what else he had to do that day and became morose again.

"Well of you go," Grahams pushed them out of the room where they were greeted by their friends.

"How'd you go?" Ron asked politely.

They both showed their licences and a ruckus ensued. Ron was slapping Neville on the back, while Hermione was passionately kissing her boyfriend. The two were causing a scene though, because as soon as Ron had seen them at it again he started to dry heave and Neville blushed at their actions.

"Ahem," The receptionist cleared her throat to get them to stop and it worked. Both of them pulled apart very red in the face, but probably from lack of oxygen than anything else.

"Well is it time for the reading yet?" Harry asked dumbly.

Hermione cast '_tempus_' and it shone 10am, they had been gone from home for just over an hour. The group walked to the lift and took it up to the atrium, the couple trying to lose the colouring in their faces, and Ron trying to keep his breakfast down.

"I guess I'll be seeing you both at the wedding then right?" Neville questioned needing to get back to his parents at St Mungo's where his Nan was visiting them.

"Yeah see you then mate," The trio hugged and in the case of Hermione pecked Neville on the cheek as they said their goodbyes to him.

The wizard grinned and blushed at them before popping off to the wizarding hospital. The trio looked at each other and started to laugh at the looks on each of their faces.

"Let's get going to Diagon Alley, meet you in front of Gringotts in a second," Hermione kissed her boyfriend and popped away. The boys looked at each other and then each popped away at the same time.


	8. August 1st Still

AUGUST 1ST STILL

Hermione had left first so of course, she arrived first and as she waited for her boyfriend and friend, she scanned the sea of faces. It was a lot less than one would expect out of the magical shopping town but still, in current times one couldn't be too careful and want to avoid open and popular spots.

Soon the witch was joined by the boys and they all entered the bank together. Walking up to the Potter family's personal goblin banker, Hermione was slightly surprised that it was Ragnok, the goblin in charge of reading Dumbledore's will.

"Good morning Ragnok, how are you this fine day?" Harry asked the goblin before him.

The goblin bowed slightly before answering the wizard, "I am doing well Lord Potter bar the fact that I have to read the will of a great friend. How may I help you until then?"

"Could we speak to Griphook or is he busy?"

"Okay Lord Potter," Ragnok walked away leaving the trio standing there, Hermione and Ron looking at Harry oddly.

"Since when have you been a Lord, Harry?" Ron asked curious at the title.

"I didn't know I was, I should ask Dumb- umm Ragnok about that," Harry had almost gone and said Dumbledore when he was in trouble again.

"Oh Harry," Hermione hugged her boyfriend to try and comfort him.

Ron tapped his mate on his back in his own attempt to comfort him but he needn't have bothered because Harry was fine, just realising that his safety net was gone now. Ragnok returned with another goblin, only this one was more scarred and burnt.

"This is Griphook, Griphook these are Lord Potter, Mister Weasley and Miss Granger."

Griphook shook each of the teen's hands and coughed loudly, "It is a pleasure to meet you all, Charlie says great things about all of you. Now you must be here about the dragon hide, please follow me."

The goblin led the teens to a large conference room to talk to them in privacy, "This is better, be seated and let's talk."

Hermione started, "We need armour, it has to be the best dragon hide, and it must be made by the best the goblin race has."

Griphook nodded and pulled out a small bag, "This is a list of current hide from around the world. I would suggest Norwegian Ridgeback for Mister Weasley, Swedish Short-snout for Miss Granger, and for Lord Potter Hungarian Horntail. With making the armour I know of an armoury in Germany that is the best in the eyes of my race. Hans has been forging for longer than I've been around and that's going ion 200 years in November. Shall I take your measurements and send them along with the specifications?"

The trio nodded and Griphook placed a screen up so Hermione could be taken care of by a female goblin, seeing as the armour would be going on under their clothes. It took the remaining hour and a half working out measurements and specifications, i.e. how many holsters would be needed and where they would be placed.

Ragnok entered the room and started getting everything ready half an hour before they were done, not that the trio minded because he would suggest certain things here and there. Too soon it was time for Griphook to leave and send off the orders, while the trio were stuck sitting and wait for the rest of the group to get there. They all must have been waiting together in the foyer of the bank because at exactly midday the doors of the room opened and everyone entered.

There was Minerva, Molly, Arthur, Alastor, Hagrid, Remus, Tonks, and Ginny, each carrying their own saddened expressions.

Ragnok waited for them all to be seated and then cleared his throat, "I have the sad duty of reading the Last Will and Testament of our dear friend and mentor, Albus Dumbledore. Firstly, he has asked that no one cry but knows that it will be hard to do so."

That caused the sad looks to fade slightly and smiles to appear on a few of the faces.

"To Rubeus Hagrid I leave the ownership of the Hogwarts Thestrals, an acre of forest for Grawp to live and a permanent place at Hogwarts if you wish it.

"To my one love, Minerva McGonagall I leave my school trunk and the contents of chest 1 of my memory vials. I love you Minnie.

"To Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks I leave 1 million of my own Galleons to get you a nice house and land, may I suggest having a large house with plenty of rooms.

"To Alastor I leave my trinkets and bits and bobs that I have collected over the years, be careful my dear friend they can be dangerous if handle wrongly.

"To Molly and Arthur Weasley I leave 2 million Galleons from my parents vault and the hope you take good care of your children with it, even those you don't know of yet.

"To Ginerva Weasley I leave 1 million Galleons to further your studies in any field you wish and know that Harry isn't your only choice, open your heart my dear.

"To Ronald Weasley I leave 2 million Galleons for the purpose of getting a large block of land and a large house for your future army. Don't let radish earrings put you off.

"To Hermione Granger I leave my entire library collection and my voting position on the Wizengamot, use it to further your causes. Love Harry my protégé, with everything you have to give.

"Finally, to Harry James Potter I leave everything else I have to my name and in my vault. May I suggest going over the inventory as soon as this is done.

"My dear friends and truly my family, I am sorry that I had to leave this world for the next big adventure but know that I am looking down on you. Please stay safe, I don't wish to see any of you any time soon. Love and live, forever love and live."

Ragnok finished and there wasn't a dry eye in the room but most were just from remembering the kind soul that was the old coot. Those that had had their futures predicted were surprised and stunned at what was destined for them. Remus couldn't believe that there were more than the one that Tonks was currently pregnant with. Though at 12 weeks, even with the magical sonogram, they couldn't be certain of how many there were in his love. This thought scared the hell out of Remus and caused him to faint.

"REMUS, LUPIN, Oh baby," Were the responses that the unconscious werewolf received from everyone there but they were soon worrying over Ron too.

Ron had been thinking about what the deceased wizard had written in his will and went over it again and again. Finally, once it had all sunken in Ron keeled over in his chair in a dead faint.

"RONALD!"

The remaining witches and wizards split into two groups, each trying to revive the fallen men. Remus was first and when he roused, he pulled his pregnant wife to him and passionately kissed her until the need for air got too much. Ron was soon up but was petrified at the thought of having kids at such a young age.

"Ron, you do realise he could have meant in 20 years you start having multiple births and that is how an army of Luna and Ron's start terrorising everyone?" Hermione explained as she blew cold air onto her friend from her wand.

"Oh of course. Now who else is hungry?" Ron was always thinking with his stomach.

"I need to go to my vault and we need Dobby to bring the books to the house for Hermione. I think an Order meeting is in desperate need too," Harry explained as he watched everyone sign using their wands.

Soon it was the teens turns and they did so willingly, placing the tip of their wands to the dotted lines. Harry asked Ragnok if he could borrow the conference room to call an impromptu meeting of the main member s of the Order of the Phoenix.

Ragnok agreed and stated that he would be awaiting Harry to take him to his enlarged vault. Harry thanked the goblin and waited for him to exit before standing at the head of the table, "If I could all get your attention please."

Everyone in the room, bar Hermione and Ron, quietened down and took their seats again, and Harry started up again, "Now I know that a new leader hasn't been formally chosen but I would like to say that even though we are only just legal, Hermione, Ron and myself do have everything planned out for the moment and would like to take over as the new leaders of the Order."

Molly was the first to object, or at least seemed to by her scream of "NOOOOOO!"

Minerva also objected but a lot quietly, "No, you need to be in school this term, not running a war. Please just be children for once in your lives."

The men and Tonks didn't seem to object so Harry passed the floor over to Hermione, "We are going to run this war whether with the Order or not. We already have dungeons, an interrogation cell, a war room, and enough wards to put Azkaban out of business. We have more important things to do that attend Hogwarts but we will be for appearance sakes only."

Ron then stood and started talking strategies, "We have word of another giant colony in Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Hagrid, we need you and Madame Maxime to work with us to create some gifts for the Gurg of that colony. We also need to remove the threat of the larger colony in France that you visited last time. It may come down to using muggle bombs and blowing the bastards sky high."

The group before the teens were impressed at how organised they were and Tonks was first to comment, "I nominate Harry, Ron, and Hermione to be the newest members and new leaders of the Order. Either that or do you guys have health benefits?"

The golden trio laughed, which earned them glares from Molly, "How can you joke about this? You are CHILDREN! And in front of Ginny too."

Ginny looked shocked at her mother, "What do you mean 'And in front of Ginny?' I was possessed by Voldemort and saved by Harry, I was with them when they went to the Ministry and were attacked by Death Eaters, who I took down with them, and just a few weeks ago I was in the battle at Hogwarts and held my own with my fellow students! We aren't stupid mother and I won't stand by while the ones I love are in danger and fighting for the safety of our world. And I guess if you don't like that Harry always has a few extra rooms available."

Molly was stunned silent. Never before had her daughter spoken to her like that, any of her children actually, and it felt painful to think that she was pushing her only daughter away from her, "I didn't mean it like that Ginny, just that this is a very sensitive subject and you shouldn't have to listen to it."

The red head teen witch rolled her eyes before turning to her friends, "Will you be running DA again this year?"

The trio huddled and then broke with an answer, "Yes but this time I would like if Headmistress McGonagall would make it compulsory, or at least available to all, even the Slytherins that want to join."

Minerva nodded, just happy that the trio would be returning, "Of course Mister Potter, though you may not have many students to volunteer because I doubt we will have any new ones this year. It would help greatly if we could regain the support of the public, and show them that life shouldn't stop just because Albus was murdered."

Harry knew that there was one way he could get admissions back to a normal height but he knew it was very dangerous for all the students if he was to do so. It seemed Hermione, Ron had thought the same thing, and they nodded slightly to show their support of the idea.

"What if I was to do an interview stating that I wasn't afraid of Voldemort and would be attending Hogwarts again this year? Do you think that would boost numbers?"

The headmistress thought this over and finished with a smile, "Yes I think it would Harry but we would need to keep the students safe in case of another attack. Hopefully we can pick out a few of the dangerous students and keep them out of Hogwarts for the duration. Which publication would you be using?"

"The Quibbler," All three answered.

"Ahh of course, I caught your interview to Miss Skeeter in your fifth year and it was superb. Hopefully the dreadful woman can do another wonder with this one or were you considering not using Rita?"

The teens shook their head vehemently, they were sick and tired of the beetle known as Rita freaking Skeeter. They were actually going to talk to Kingsley about arresting her for being an unregistered animagus.

"Well then, we had all best be off but before we do a vote on whether these three should become the new leaders of the Order."

All of the hands, including Ginny's, rose making it official as the majority of members were here in the room. Once that was done everyone left, though Molly was dragging Ginny away from going to her vault. The golden trio went to find Ragnok but saw that he was busy so went to a free goblin to take them to Harry's vault.

"Right this was please," The grizzled goblin ordered as he took them to the trolley cart that took them into the depths of London.

After a bumpy and stomach churning trip, they finally made it to the hardly used vault door, "Key please."

After a long search Harry found the key, which the goblin used to open the door, as well as his finger. The trio entered the vault to find that it had expanded greatly to hold the new possessions of it's owner. Harry shyly started searching, trying to find what it was Dumbledore intended him to find, while his friends looked around the other new belongings.

"FOUND IT!" Harry yelled out, coming out from around a huge stack of Galleons with a scroll clenched in his hand.

"Good job mate, what does it say?" Ron asked as he made his way to his friend.

"Dear Harry, Hermione and Ronald,

If you are reading this it means that the inevitable has occurred and I have passed away. The Horcruxes must be found quickly but carefully by the three of you. DO NOT TELL ANYONE ELSE ABOUT THEM. In impress that onto you. Love is the key to destroying them, love and the sword of Gryffindor. Hold it before attempting to destroy one and it will go with you into the fight. These are dangerous items my friends, please be careful.

Fawkes will bring you the sword then I do not know what he will do after that. If he does stick with you give him a few ferrets every few days, he likes those. Continue your schooling and take care of your family and friends. I have included a list of possible items used and possible places that they could be hidden.

Stay well my students,

Albus Dumbledore."

On the end of the letter was a list;

"Ravenclaw's battle gloves

Gryffindor's wand

Hufflepuff's teacup

Nagini

Orphanage Tom was brought up in

Riddle Snr old home in Great Hangleton

Chamber of the Secrets"

"Well that's helpful," Ron said with only slight sarcasm.

"Yes it is, only we need to be certain of them before we go head first in. Now what say we go back home? Or maybe we should go make an appearance in Diagon Alley, and thank the twins for their birthday presents?" Hermione offered suggestions, wanting nothing more than to strangle the twins for their presents.

"Oh let's go see the twins," Harry smiled evilly as he wrapped his arm around the waist of his girlfriend.

The trio exited the vault, caught the trolley car up to the surface and then exited Gringotts, after saying goodbye and thankyou to Ragnok. Making their way to the twins store the trio noted that there weren't many people around, even less than when they first arrived those hours ago. Shrugging it off, they noticed that they were at the storefront of Weasley Wizard Wheezes, the store the Weasley twins had started up in Diagon Alley after leaving Hogwarts in the trio's fifth year. Harry knew that they were doing well because, even though he had insisted against it, the twins had made him part owner and he received a share of what they made, which was a lot.

Entering the teens were started by the atmosphere that the store presented. There were dummy Voldemort's sitting on the toilet, manikins for blowing up in the shape of everyone's favourite Death Eaters and then all of their other creation in their different sections.

"CUSTOMERS!" A voice squawked from above them but when they looked up there was nothing up there.

Fred and George exited from a back room and had wide grins on their faces when they saw the trio standing there.

"Welcome to our store, like what you see?"

Harry was poking a Voldemort when he answered, "So damned lifelike, how'd you know what he looked like?"

"We bribed Dumbledore for his memory of him last year. I'm glad you think it's that realistic," Fred or George answered.

"Damn near perfect though I've been somewhat busy whenever he's been near me, like holding my head in pain. It's amazing Fred."

"George," The twin corrected.

"Well then George, it's amazing."

"You're not George, you're Fred," The twins began to play fight over who was who.

"Just wear nametags from now on, ok?" Ron pleaded with his elder brothers.

The twins nodded and then turned on Hermione, "So used Harry's pressies yet?"

Harry and Ron began to choke but Hermione lightly blushed before answering calmly, "No boys but even if I had I wouldn't be telling you anything but how to better your products. I have been reading up on many of the spells and potions you are using, unfortunately if you've been selling them then I would expect some serious lawsuits. You know nothing about women's bodies."

The twins looked dumbfounded before dropping to their knees and looking up to Hermione, which at their height was nearly eye high, and started to plead with her, "What have we done wrong? Should we recall everything? What should we do?"

Hermione started to laugh but was concerned when the twins didn't start up too, "Oh you're serious well firstly..."

Harry and Ron got bored from that point and started looking around the store for different things that the twins had created since the last time they had been in there. Of course they were both on the mailing lists but there could have been new creations since then, like the contraceptive items.

"You really think they were dumb enough not to consult a female or a Healer before making these?" Ron asked Harry quietly.

The wizard nod, "Yep, they probably thought they knew everything they needed to about women. Hell even Casanova didn't know everything about women."

That confused Ron as Casanova was a muggle person, "He was a muggle who could get any lady he liked but in the end knew nothing about them."

"Oh ok. Cool, look at these Harry," Ron called his mate over the offensive weapons part of the store.

Everything there was dangerous in the hands of a wizard, witch or any other magical race, as long as they didn't have a Dark Mark. The twins had learnt from the debacle with the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder that Draco Malfoy and other Death Eaters had used to escape capture at Hogwarts when they attacked. Apparently, if you had a Dark Mark anywhere on your body you were instantly captured.

"Great idea, maybe we could get them to capture and send them to the dungeons, we should ask the twins about that."

"Ask us about what?" The twins were done with Hermione and they had come over to see what the boys were doing.

"About whether they can capture and send to the new Order Headquarters' dungeons," Ron told their idea to his brothers.

The twins thought this over between themselves and after a few minutes, during which time the trio were looking over the items on the shelves. There were swords and spikes, more of the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, shield cloaks and more. The teens were impressed at the extent the twins had gone too to be certain that no one but the light touched these products.

"Right, we've thought about it and yeah I guess we could always add a transportation spell, if only for the Dark Mark holders. Now where would the new headquarters be?" Fred, or was it George, asked.

"You've already been told where, Godrics Hollow."

"WHAT?!" The twins yelled out causing one of the twin's employees to walk out the front and look at the group oddly.

"It's ok Verity, go back to stocktaking," Fred called out, trying to calm the situation.

"Ok Mr Weasley."

"Now what?"

"We're the newest members and new leaders of the Order is all," Ron told his brothers proudly.

This made the twins grin from ear to ear, "You think we're going to follow your rules little brother?"

"No but you'll have to follow mine and Harry's or else we'll leave you on the side of the road on your arses," Hermione replied for Ron, stepping up to defend her friend.

"Ahh ok then. We had best be getting started on the new charms to place on the stock, too-roo then," The twins walked away after giving hugs and handshakes goodbye.

The trio left the store and walked to the alley next to them to apparate home, "Beat you there." Hermione popped away but wasn't quick enough for the boys, who had known she was going to do that again.


	9. Auust 3rd

AUGUST 3RD

Over the next 2 days the trio practiced every waking hour, only stopping for food and drink, and usually only at the insistence of Ron's stomach or Dobby and Winky. Waking up on the 4th the trio were ready to try their animagus training, and hopefully work out what animal they were meant to be.

After breakfast the teens walked up the stairs to the training room and sat in the chairs they were getting so good at transfiguring, so much that they just banished them and kept stones in their pockets at all times. Practicing their Occlumency training to clear their minds, they then laid the parchment before them and held the filled quill in their secondary hand. In their dominant hand was their wand and they chanted the spell that would determine what their designated animal for the teens.

They had made sure that Dobby only interrupted them for emergencies, because once started it was horrible if they were distracted. After 10 minutes of chanting the sounds of quills could be heard coming from each of the teens. They were drawing, in great detail and colour what they would look like in animagus form.

Once there was once again silence the teens performed a longevity charm over the ink, so it didn't age out, and looked over the animals they would become.

Ron was red fox with blue eyes and brown spots here and there, he seemed pleased because the fox was a common animal to be skulking around a forest or household, good for recon work.

Hermione was a honey blonde lioness with brown eyes, great for attacking prey but not really a common animal to be seeing in England. She seemed disturbed by the fact she would be spotted but then set about seeking everything that was known about the common lioness.

Harry was looking over his parchment because he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Intsead of just one animal there was two. A black mamba snake with red eyes and a dark as night panther with vibrant green eyes, "Umm Hermione?"

"Yeah?" Hermione was nose deep in a muggle animal book on felines.

"I have two."

That shocked both of his friends, so much that they both dropped their own books and raced to Harry to be sure he wasn't seeing things or lying.

"Wow"

"This isn't right, why would the snake have red eyes?" Ron asked after his friends hadn't said a word.

See the couple knew why the snake had red eyes but they couldn't believe it, it just couldn't be possible. It would mean that Harry was a Horcrux and Hermione had to kill him to relieve him of the piece of soul that was contained in him.

"Oh Harry I can't, don't make me. There's got to be another way," Hermione broke down and it caused Harry pain as he thought of how much he would miss the witch before him.

"You have to Mione, it's the only way to defeat him. We'll just have to bring me back afterwards, quickly."

Ron finally caught on and he went deep purple, "Oh hell no, this isn't happening mate."

Harry turned to his best friend and looked him right in the eye, "Yes it is and it has to happen NOW!"

A flash of flames appeared out of nowhere, "Fawkes?"

The phoenix sang a quiet song, filled with passion and morose. He dropped a sheathed sword on the ground before Harry and then sat on the wizard's shoulder.

"Hey boy, you miss him too hey?" Harry had always felt a connection to the phoenix who had saved him from the Basilisk venom flowing through his body in his 2nd year.

Hermione lifted the sword and unsheathed the sword of Gryffindor, remarking on how beautiful it was, "He must have taken great time and effort into forging this, even a goblin couldn't get it this perfect and you can feel the different magical energy radiating off it, obviously of a very powerful wizard."

Harry smiled slightly at the sight of his love holding the sword that was a lot smaller than he remembered it all those years ago. Ron sat there dumbfounded that THE sword of Gryffindor was in his friend's hand right in front of him.

"Wicked"

"Yeah it is," Was all Harry could say in response as her pet the phoenix on his shoulder.

"Hermione can I hold it?" Ron asked politely but was very anxious to see what it could do.

"Ok but be very careful," Hermione passed it to her friend, who took it and moved a distance away to practice swinging it.

Fawkes was still singing as her preened himself, but he kept an eye on the witch before him. Hermione noticed and started to feel a little uncomfortable and it must have shown because the phoenix changed songs and Hermione was calmed instantly.

"What's with Fawkes? I think he fancies my girlfriend, don't you boy?" Harry jokingly asked but he received the evil eye from Hermione and a glare, if phoenixes can glare, from Fawkes.

Hermione leant out to touch Fawkes' wing, having an unrelenting urge to touch the mythical bird. When she did though Fawkes squawked loudly, jumped over and started to preen the witch's birds nest hairstyle. Hermione jumped but was help in place by the massive bird's weight. Once he was done, the witch's hair was straight and beautifully styled and the pile of hair that was placed beside her Fawkes took as he flew over to the corner.

"Wow you look great Hermione, he's some hairdresser though what's he doing with all of the hair he removed?" Harry asked his girlfriend.

"I've seen what he's doing before with my old budgerigars, he's making a nest," Hermione walked over the where the newly constructed hair-nest was being sit in by the phoenix.

Fawkes looked morosely at Hermione before giving a loud screech, causing everyone to cringe and put their fingers in their ears. When the screeching was done Hermione saw that Fawkes was gone and a jewelled egg was in the nest.

"Oh Fawkes has laid an egg," Hermione went an touched it carefully, feeling how warm it was without it's father sitting over it, "We should place warming charms over the nest."

"NOS!" Dobby popped into the room and stopped the witch from using her wand on the nest.

"What are you doing Dobby?" Hermione asked impatiently because she was certain that the egg would go cold without something heating it.

"Phoenix issus making egg for yous Mistress Granger but it issus safes as it issus. Phoenix should be backs soon with it's perch for it's young. He issus then goings to his master," Dobby explained as he looked affectionately at the egg in the nest of Hermione's hair.

"You mean Fawkes is dying?" Ron asked the elf, the sword totally forgotten about.

"Yessus Master Wheezy. He issus dyings because Professey issus dead. Phoenix was justs lookings for his fledglings new owner and he issus findings her in Mistress Granger. Sees I issus tellings yous that he woulds return with perch," Dobby pointed to the bejewelled perch and Fawkes seated upon it, looking very sickly.

"Goodbye dear friend," Harry pet the phoenix one last time, pulling feathers out as he did.

"Goodbye Fawkes," Hermione hugged the bird softly and came away with tears in her eyes.

"Bye mate," Ron used one finger to stroke the phoenix.

Fawkes gave one more sadly happy song and flamed away for the last time, to go and die at his master's grave. Hermione cried for a while but soon turned her attention to her new egg. Picking it up, the witch placed it carefully on the perch and turned back to Harry, not having forgotten their previous conversation.

"I'm not killing you Harry Potter."

"Why woulds Mistress wants to kill Master Potter?" Dobby asked concerned.

"I have a very bad thing inside of me and it can only be destroyed if I die and Hermione defeats it by love," Harry explained to the elf.

"Ohs those Horcruxes Professey was talkings about, no master Potter yous aren't one, you weres though," Dobby said, startling the teens.

"What do you mean, 'WAS'?" Hermione asked madly.

Dobby quickly explained, "He hads it when I issus first meetings him and it was powerful, made me scared to be nears him but over years his loves for others destroyed its. This last summers was end of it when Mistress kissed Master first times only yous wouldn't haves noticed its because its was so small and weaks. Its very good, right?"

The trio grinned and whooped loudly, hugging each other and the elf and each other again, "Thankyou Dobby you are a real saint. That's three down, four more to go if Dumbledore was right about the amount."

"Issus Masters and Mistress wanting food now?" Dobby asked happily.

The all over response was yes and the elf popped away to make some sandwiches to bring back up. While they waited for their food, the teens started to concentrate on the animals they were meant to become. Oddly enough, Harry found it easier to picture being a snake than a panther but that could have just been because of the Parselmouth talent he had been given through the scar left by Voldemort.

"So when should we be changing?" Ron asked after a few minutes of concentration.

"Probably not for a few weeks, even months, but if we practice constantly then it should be easier and quicker to do. All you have to do is clear your mind and picture the animal you are meant to be and then you will become it," Hermione explained for the fifth time that day.

Harry nodded and was about to get started again when Dobby popped in, so training was called off for the duration of lunch. Then they got back to it. After 3 hours, Harry could feel a big tingle crawl up and down his spine. Suddenly, just as he was looking at the snake, Harry started to feel odd in the stomach. It was a burning that quickly spread through his body, getting unbearably hot, so much that he cried out in pain.

"Harry? Oh Harry keep thinking about the snake or panther, don't stop," Hermione ordered him.

The wizard kept thinking of the snake, and the burning grew more intense. He cried out but it wasn't coming out as a human cry but as a loud and low hiss. Opening his eyes, the wizard noticed that he was on the ground and could see the feet of his friends. Looking up her saw a giant Ron and Hermione looking down at him.

"Congratulations Harry mate," Ron bellowed down, causing Harry to get a headache.

Harry hissed violently, making Ron back up and sit on a high up chair he transfigured. Hermione wasn't scared because she knew that Harry's hearing would be ultra sensitive, and quickly picked him up and placed him around her neck.

"Handsome wizard, handsome snake," She whispered to her black mamba boyfriend.

Harry rubbed his head against her neck, hearing the pound of blood rushing through her arteries. He could hear other things too, like the increased tempo of Ron's heart, and the sound of house elves at work. Smell was outstanding, it came through his mouth and his brain told him what it was and how far away it was. His eye sight was excellent, better than with his glasses on. The only problem Harry the snake had was how to get back to his normal self.

Hermione must have picked up on his want to change, or she just wanted his back to normal to kiss him, so she explained how to get back, quietly, "Think about what you looked like as a human and don't stop thinking it, no matter what."

Harry did just that and soon enough the wizard was back to normal, "Wicked."

Hermione rushed up and hugged her boyfriend, while Ron stood back and waited for them to finish before congratulating the teen. The group spent the rest of the day practicing, until dinner and then afterwards set up everything they had for the Order in the war room as they had their first Order meeting since becoming leader and members the next day.


	10. Ausgust 4th

AUGUST 4TH

The next day started with the usual alarm clock telling them to wake up and all three groaning

awake. They had new formal robes that they were to wear, once again with notes stating to wear them after having a shower. They had found out after the first lot that Winky was a really good seamstress and did truly love sewing, so much that she sewed a new robe a day.

Showering and dressing the teens met up in the dining room to have their breakfast in peace, only to find the whole Weasley clan, minus Percy, having breakfast already. Dobby was sitting at the end where he usually sat, Winky sitting beside him, and the elf giving his wife another foot rub to ease her aching feet.

"Morning," The trio took their places at the head of the table and dove into eating. Once they were done did they start talking about things.

"I see you all were kind enough to show up early, and I'm pleased you brought Ginny with you. We think she, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood should be allowed just admittance to the meetings, if not become members. They were great parts of the battle at the Ministry and also last term at Hogwarts," Harry explained calmly to keep the mood light.

Apparently that was a waste of time though because there had been an all out war about whether to allow Ginny to come along with her mother and father, "Yes well we had no choice as it was this or lose the only child still living with us." Molly was in full out pissed bear mother mode.

"Oh well Ginny you should have agreed with you mother but just so you know you are welcome here but not unless your parents say so, ok?" Harry didn't want an all out war in the Weasley family, and make Ginny another Percy.

"Ok Harry," Ginny was just pleased that she was allowed entry to the sacred Order meetings so she would agree to anything.

"Right then, Dobby could you pop over and ask Neville and Luna to come around if they are able to make it, please," Ron asked the elf who looked kindly at his masters and mistress, kissed his wife and popped off.

Bill was studying the robes the trio were wearing, "Those are nice robes, we could use a seamstress that good for the wedding clothing. They're still not done yet and the weddings in two days."

Apparently, the witch they had been using had to go to hospital and while Molly and Fleur's mum were good at some things they were hopeless at being seamstress'.

"Well if you bring them over I'm sure Winky can finish them, that is if she doesn't mind not making us our daily ones every night," Hermione offered proudly.

"Winky issus not minding as I issus not allowed to do any things else," Winky smiled and hopped down to measure the groom, "Who else issus needing robes?"

Bill stuttered slightly, "Myself, Charlie, Fleur, my fiancé, Gabrielle, Fleur's mum and dad, and my parents."

"I issus just gettings it done by tomorrows night if I issus seeing peoples now," The elf ordered the burly wizard.

Bill looked scared to death and that was odd because he worked with deadly and life-threatening curses and spells everyday in his job, "Ok umm I'll take you to the Burrow after the meeting so you can get Fleur and her family."

Winky nodded before turning her sights on Molly and Arthur, who cringed lightly at the intensity of passion in the elf's eyes. The trio had a chuckle at their expense but soon the rest of the Order were arriving. Remus, who popped off quickly and returned soon after with his love in his arms, ran into Minerva. Kingsley Shacklebolt flooed in then Alastor Moody joined them all.

"Should have an anti-apparition ward up Mister Potter," The ex-auror complained.

Hermione huffed, "For your information Alastor there is one but only those that know about here can apparate in or out. I also added an extra piece of security for in case a captured Death Eater hears the name of their jailhouse. Anyone with a Dark mark cannot apparate out or in."

The wizard whistled lowly, "Very nice work Miss Granger, Albus would be proud."

This caused the witch to blush deeply but she thanked the man for such a compliment.

The floo turned green again and out rolled Neville and Luna Lovegood, one after the other, "OMPH."

"Neville!" Ginny raced over to make sure that her close friend was fine.

Ron looked at his friends in askance as to whether to check on Luna. When they nodded, the red head went and helped the blonde haired witch to her feet.

"Hello Ronald, having a good summer? I've been wondering where you were, Ginny couldn't tell me for some reason," Luna commented airily.

Ron blushed before answering, "I was at Harry's aunt's house until the 30th when Death Eaters attacked. Dobby let them have it though so we could escape."

"That was brave of Dobby but I'm glad you're safe Ronald. Hello Harry, Hermione, I heard from Ginny you were dating now, congratulations," Luna came over and hugged both of her friends before looking around.

Hagrid and Olympe had just arrived via portkey, and they were walking over to where the trio were standing.

"Thank you 'Arry, 'Ermione and Ronald for inviting me to join zé Order of zé Phoenix and to see your beautiful 'ome," Olympe said as she kissed each of the teen's cheeks.

The teens grinned and accepted the kisses, "You're very much welcome Madame Maxime."

"O, call me Olympe silly girl," The giant jokingly chastised the witch below her.

Hermione grinned sheepishly and nodded before being dragged into a huge hug from Hagrid, "Hermione, my girl. How you been?"

"Fine Hagrid," The witch squeaked out causing Harry to forcibly push Hagrid into releasing his girlfriend.

"Sorry Hermione," Hagrid blushed but was comforted by Olympe.

"It's alright Hagrid. Well, now that everyone's here shall we proceed to the war room?" Hermione led the large group up the stairs, thankful the she had Dobby reinforce them for the heavy weights they would have to carry.

Entering the room they had designated as the war room, the group were seated and the proceedings began. Ron started by placing flags on places that the Death Eaters had attacked recently and where they thought they would attack in the future. Ron sat looking at the map and a moving war board they had created for the remainder of the meeting, coming in every so often.

Harry then stood and got the attention of all the members, "In battle, the final battle, NO ONE goes after Voldemort but me, is that clear?"

There were arguments from everyone and Hermione whispered to her love, "Maybe you should explain by using some of the prophecy love."

A tingle ran up the wizard's spine and he stood again, "Now I will explain why. A prophecy was made before my birth stating that only I could defeat Voldemort, me or Neville Longbottom. Now it is only due to the fact Voldemort attacked my family first, and my mother's sacrifice to keep me alive yet marked, that it wasn't Neville who is the chosen one."

Neville gasped, as did everyone, but the wizard in question gasped then started to laugh evilly, "I don't care Harry whether you take him or not, the only one I want is Bellatrix Lestrange then I'll be happy as cake."

Everyone from the old Order knew why Neville wanted the evil witch so badly. When their Dark Lord had been temporarily defeated the Lestrange's went and attacked the Longbottom family for information as to where their leader was. Bellatrix had used the Cruciatus Curse on them for so long that they were now in the long term care ward at St Mungo's unable to do anything but drool. Neville explained it to everyone that didn't know, which turned out to be just a few, and was then smothered by red hair.

"Oh my Neville, I'll kill them for you," Ginny cried into the wizard's neck, unaware of what she had said.

Neville comforted the witch until she was able to continue in the meeting and said that they would talk afterwards about their relationship. Harry smiled and went on to further instruct that there would only be well thought out, and well planned attacks on any Death Eaters or their families.

"We know for certain of two Death Eater's locations but we shall not compromise our positions just yet. We have surveillance on them 24 hours a day and they haven't left the premises since we arrived. Now do we have any other possible safe houses?"

There were a few that everyone were certain of but didn't know if they were currently being used. Bill promised to try a grease the wheels with the goblins to try and prevent the known Death Eaters to access their vaults, it was expensive to run a war.

"Thankyou Bill, now about training," Hermione stood and was greeted by disgruntled looks and death glares.

"What do you mean 'training'?" Tonks asked evilly.

"I meant for those at Hogwarts Tonks. Another DA at the least."

"What are you thinking Miss Granger?" McGonagall asked interested in the witch's ideas.

"Remus should come back as DADA professor, teaching the basics but at a faster and more intense pace. Moody as an Advanced DADA professor, teaching the things that trainee aurors get taught but only to those that have passed the basics and can cast a Corporeal Patronus as easily as Harry can. Slughorn needs to change his criteria to offensive potions and healing potions, each student should have a vial of each with them at all times.

"New punishments for attacking other students, from now on it would be good if it was a one strike then out if it is done again. The new Transfiguration professor should be teaching the theory behind animagus transformations in 5th year and they should be completed, or near as, at the final of 7th year. Charms is fine, we just need more offensive and defensive charms, like learning how to animate the suits of armour around the school to fight for us.

"Every student needs competent brooms and flying abilities, for a quick escape if it is needed. Hogsmeade trips are to be cancelled for the safety of the students, at least until we can create emergency portkeys that transport the student in charge of it, back to Hogwarts.

"We are in the process of creating a prototype safety pack that the students need to carry with them at ALL times, no matter where they are. It will contain healing potions, their shrunken broom, offensive items from the WWW collections, and offensive potions."

The group were stunned at the prospected changes that were to come, or at least offered to come. Minerva sat silently and thought about what she had just heard, and she really thought that it sounded good.

"Alright, and we can make the changes and the recommended prototype, only problem is that we need the head girl and head boy to come back to school," Minerva pulled out three badges, "Oh and of course the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain needs to come back also."

The trio grinned but the boys were confused, "Who's who?"

"Ronald is captain," Minerva was concerned that there would be an argument but there wasn't need for concern.

Ron whooped for joy and readily took the captain's badge, "Captain of the team, thanks Professor."

Harry and Hermione took their Head's badges and looked at them amazed, "Thanks Professor McGonagall."

"The two of you will have your own common room and be able to give and take points, and give detentions."

"Oh, is there any chance that Ron can have a room in the common room too?" Hermione asked the headmistress.

Minerva nodded, "Yes of course, I shall ask the castle to build another room added on."

"Good now about the giants and other species that we can get as allies. Any ideas on how to gain the trust and support of the Tyrone giants?" Hermione sent the question out across all of the members.

Olympe smiled slightly, "I was thinking that we should get a set of giant forged armour, from the ages, to respect them."

Everyone nodded, "That is a good idea but we would need to seek and find a set that are of good quality, or else we may insult them."

The trio decided to send Hagrid and Olympe to seek out find what they needed, arrangements would be made to cover for them. They then brought up the suggestion of the vampires, werewolves, goblins, house elves, centaurs, and mermaids.

"There is a family of 'vegetarian' vampires in Italy that may help us out. They have been ostracised, because of their views, from the mainstream vampires," Kingsley replied about the vampires.

"How many are there?"

"Last count was 40 over various ages."

"Alastor can you take a trip to Italy and contact them please?" Harry asked the ex-auror, knowing he could handle himself against vampires.

The wizard nodded to the group, "Ai, I can do that no problem."

"Good, now we should forget about the centaurs helping us as they have already shown great dislike to humans and we do have Grawp terrorising their forest. Mermaids, well does anyone know how to speak Mermish?" Hermione asked everyone, who all shook their heads.

"Great well we'll have to work that out. Bill, can you get the goblins on our side?"

The wizard in question stood, "I think I have them learning towards our side mainly because the Death Eaters have been attacking them and they don't take kindly to that happening."

Hermione and Harry shook their heads in horror that the Death Eaters would be so stupid to attack the greatest and oldest race around. It would be a great advantage if the Order could have the goblins on their side, even a few, as they were very powerful.

"Now, for werewolves, Remus what have the needs for the werewolf community been? Will they come around to our side if we, say, provide them with food, clothing and Wolfsbane potion?" Harry really wanted as many werewolves on his side as possible to prevent any unnecessary infections happening.

"That's all they wish, plus land in which they can roam in freedom and their wands back," Remus replied.

"What do you mean their wands back? Don't they have a wand like you do?" Ron asked after pulling himself away from his maps and war boards.

"Because they're werewolves and didn't have Dumbledore on their sides when they were turned. My family was great friends with Albus when Fenrir infected me at the age of 10, my parents fought but they were kicked aside then they asked Albus to help and I was allowed a wand and to attend Hogwarts," Remus explained.

"We'll do our best but it may be beyond even Lord Potter's power to change that law," Hermione joked, using Harry's honorific.

Minerva gasped, "He gave you the fortune then? Albus must have known he was going to die if he released your lordship."

"What are you talking about Minerva?" Arthur asked as he looked at the witch oddly.

"Harry received an honorific for being the last of the Black line, as godson of the last remaining Black. Sirius was a Lord but it was stripped from him and the paperwork was placed away for Harry, his godson, for when he became 17 he would receive the honorific and other perks that come with it."

"What perks?" The golden trio, Ginny, Neville, and Luna asked.

"Well let's see there is 2 votes on the Wizengamot, 2 chairs on the School Governors board, and oh yes, you can run for Minister a lot easier than say if Arthur or Kingsley wished to."

That was a surprise to everyone, even the adults, as they hadn't known that Sirius had kept him honorific. Everyone had thought that it was given to Narcissa Malfoy, Sirius' eldest relative not arrested at the time. Hermione was over the moon because now she could change their world one step at a time, first with getting the werewolves their wands back.

Harry seemed to be thinking the same thing and whispered to Hermione that they would talk about that later, "Now everyone we come to the most important race, the house elves. DOBBY! WINKY!"

*POP* Dobby arrived with Winky in his arms who looked tired.

"Hello Master Potter, Master Wheezy, and Mistress Granger," The elves greeted their owners.

"Please sit, we will not take too much of your time," Hermione was concerned about Winky.

The house elves seated themselves and awaited their owner's reason for calling them.

"In my 2nd year Dobby you fought Lucius Malfoy to defend me from an attack by him. Last week you fought Malfoy again, with Lestrange this time, to let us get away safely. Now we need your brethren to help us fight this war against evil," Hermione told the elves.

Dobby and Winky looked stunned, "I issus only savings my master both times. We issus not able to fights wizards and witches unless ordered to by owners."

"What about if we were to ask you to get any free, or un-owned, elves and get you all to help out in any battles we do have. Not battle but take away the injured and dead, help keep the wards on wherever we are fighting. Also anyone with experience with giants, vampires and werewolves would be greatly helped. We would take them as our own, if they wish and also pay them. Dobby? Winky?" Hermione asked the elves kindly.

The couple looked pleased, "We wills go lookings for other elves. Dobby wills go lookings."

The witch and wizard nodded and let the elves leave, well Dobby left while Winky stayed around for the meeting to finish and leave to go to the Burrow with the Weasley's. The trio dismissed the meeting and allowed everyone to leave.

The group left, Winky apparated away with Bill, followed by all of the Weasley's, bar Ginny. Neville and Luna stuck around too. Hagrid and Olympe hugged everyone, painfully at times, then left via portkey. Kingsley and Alastor flooed away to the Ministry, Remus and Tonks apparated away in each other's arms. Minerva left the students their book lists and usual paperwork for the next school year, which was only weeks away.

"I may need to change them or add onto them for the newest classes that have been created and changed. Be early to the train because you need to talk to the prefects," The headmistress smiled slightly before apparating away.

Once everyone was gone Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna walked up to the library to talk. They walked in couples, Harry and Hermione, Ron and Luna, Ginny and Neville, each talking to their mate about various things.

"We should let them have their time to talk to each other," Hermione suggested to her love, motioning to the couples behind them.

"Mhmm, love," Harry was more interested in the swirling motions Hermione was tracing on the back of his hand.

When they entered the room Hermione transfigured six chairs in groups of two, spread out around the room. Hermione and Harry's were seated next to the stand that Fawkes had delivered and now held Hermione's egg.

Ginny, Neville and Luna came and awed over the jewelled egg, "What sort of egg is that?"

"Phoenix, Fawkes popped it out before going off to die," Harry explained with a tear in his eyes.

"Fawkes delivered it? Who's is it?" Neville was astounded at hearing that the phoenix was now dead.

"Hermione's," Ron stated proudly.

"Wow, bonded before being created, I've never heard of that, not even with the Crumple-Horned Snorkack," Luna explained as she carefully studied the egg from a distance.

Hermione grinned before telling the others to go talk. She and Harry stood guard over the egg = while they talked.

RON AND LUNA

The pair walked over the chairs closest to the shelves and sat down facing each other. Over the past few days, since Ron had found out that Luna liked him, the pair had been corresponding, sometimes as much as three times a day. They had spoken about everything and anything, during which time Ron had learnt that Luna was a great and fun witch who loved to cook and fly.

"So Ronald, what should we talk about?" Luna asked kindly.

"Umm, I really like you Luna," Ron blushed deeply, surpassing his hair colour.

"I like you too, Ronald. I would have thought you knew that by now. I had pretty much told you in my letters to you."

"Yeah, well, Hermione always said I was a little slow."

The pair laughed lightly at that before Luna pulled Ron over and started to kiss him deeply. That continued until the need for air became too much, "Wow."

They went back at it, very enthusiastically, until Hermione and Harry called over and interrupt them from going any further than they should do in public.

GINNY AND NEVILLE

Ginny was so nervous about what they would talk about when they reached the chairs. Never before had she felt this way about someone, not even with Harry. That wasn't what concerned the witch, no what concerned her was that Neville was such a great guy that she was afraid that she may hurt him if she were to decide that they couldn't work as a couple.

"Earth to Ginny? You there?" Neville waved his hands in front of the witch's face and caught her attention from the land of daydream.

"Oh, hey Nev," Ginny blushed just as well as her brother had done.

"Hey Gin," Neville blushed too.

"So," They said together then laughed at the fact that it had happened.

Neville motioned for Ginny to go first and she did readily, "I want to travel and study different things before I settle down and have a family. I DON'T want to end up like my mum. Can you handle that?"

The wizard grinned at nodded, "Yep, as long as you can handle be being around you when you travel and be there when you are ready to move on in your life. I'll wait until the end of the world for you Ginerva Molly Weasley."

Ginny cringed at the use of her full name but was so touched by what Neville had said that she leapt at him and started kissing him all over, "Of course Neville Frank Longbottom, you can stick around as long as you wish."

The couple kissed until they were forcibly pulled apart by two different summoning charms, cast by Harry and Hermione.

Harry and Hermione had been talking about how they could change the wizarding world when they heard a crash. Looking over they noticed that Ron and Luna, and Ginny and Neville were in passionate embraces and weren't going to stop going to whole way no matter who was in the room with them.

They quickly walked over to the red head and blonde, who pulled apart when they heard the footsteps headed their way. Along the way they each summoned a teen from the pile of Ginny and Neville. Sitting them in chairs, boys on one side, girls on the other, the more mature couple decided to have a talk with them all.

"Now I see that youa re all together but this now creates problems for us all. There must be ground rules, such as using contraceptive spells and potions if it gets to that stage. Know that a spell will only go so far and too much magical power can shatter the charm so a monthly potion is the best idea. While you are here there is to be NO sex unless you are in a bedroom. Neither Harry or myself wish to walk in on you going at it like monkeys when we just want to make a potion," Hermione warned the group.

Harry then took over, "You shall need to tell your parents, both lots. Family occasions are NOT a reason to make love, no matter where you are or if there is a bedroom available. Now Ginny and Luna will be helping Hermione make the contraception potion while Neville and Ron, you guys are with me. We have surveillance to do."

That ended the discussion and it was decided that Ron would stick around and look after the egg, while Neville would be shown the crow's nest lookout that they had created that looked over Spinners End.

HARRY AND NEVILLE

Harry apparated Neville into the crow's nest and handed him a pair of muggle binoculars, "Look through them and aim at the house over there."

Neville did exactly as Harry had said, while Harry looked over the transcripts of surveillance for the last 20 hours. No one had entered or left the premises but there was movement around, Hermione had added a heat seeking charm on the surveillance so that they could be certain no one entered through apparition or any other way.

"Hey Harry, someone's coming out. Is that SNAPE?" Neville whispered loudly.

"Shh, yes Nev, it's Snape. We're surveying him to see if he does anything that can help us win this war. When the time is right, we're going to attack and take him and Malfoy to the dungeon cells we have. Just watch what he does."

The boys watched as Severus walked the perimeter of the property, dropping stones every so often. Once he was done, the wizard walked to the back door again and started saying something. The stones all shone blue and then disappeared into the ground. The wizard then sighed, looked over to where Godrics Hollow should be and sighed again, before entering the house again.

"We need to tell Hermione, come on let's go," Harry let Neville apparate away himself, before also leaving.

HERMIONE, GINNY, AND LUNA

The trio of girls walked down one flight of steps and entered the large, and fully stocked, potions lab that Hermione had installed. Collecting everything that would be needed, including the recipe, Hermione led the girls to the main cauldron and placed everything down on the cutting board.

"Right, here's the recipe and there's the ingredients. You're both bright witches and I expect you to get this right the first time. I'm not like Snape but if you get it wrong and hurt yourselves I won't be pleased. Ok, begin."

Hermione knew it took a good 20 minutes to finish the potion so she head to the first floor so she could use the floo. Madame Pomfrey should have gotten the ultrasound machine by now and Winky needed to know how many babies she was having.

Putting the floo powder in, then her head, Hermione called out, "Hogwarts Hospital Ward."

The twirling made Hermione feel sick but she held onto the fireplace for dear life, not wanting to follow her head. The witch cursed herself when she arrived at her location though because the witch wasn't there.

"MADAME POMFREY!"

"Yes, yes, one second," Came the response Hermione wanted.

Soon enough a bubbly witch came over to the floo and looked down on Hermione's floating head, "How can I help you Miss Granger?"

"We need that ultrasound done soon Madame Pomfrey. Please, Winky needs to know and I'd love to know too," The witch pleaded with the nurse.

It seemed Poppy Pomfrey's determination was crumbling because she said, "Bring her around whenever and we'll do that ultrasound."

"Oh thankyou Madame Pomfrey, Winky will be so very pleased. Goodbye," Hermione then pulled her head through the twirling again and flopped onto her arse as she exited the floo.

"Good show Mione," Harry joked as the love of his life lifted herself up and brushed soot off her clothing,

"Hmph, how are the girls going?"

"Dunno, we just came from the lookout and it seems that Severus has done a spell of some sort on his property. Used stones all around the perimeter and then chanted something we couldn't hear. Then the rocks turned blue and dove into the ground," Harry replied to Hermione.

The witch hummed and ha'ed over the possible charm until she snapped her fingers, "Right he cast a Caterwauling Charm around the property, to tell him if anyone crosses those lines. Very smart I guess but it doesn't stop anyone from actually crossing the line."

The witch thought it over as she and the wizards walked up to the potions lab to find out how the younger witches were going. It seemed they were as smart as Hermione had pegged them for because the potion was the perfect opalescent purple it was supposed to be.

"Good girls, now you need only take a 25ml every month on the first of you menstrual cycle. Split between three and there should be enough to last you 6 months. Place it in a never spoil vial and keep it away from your parents, they'll kill me for letting you make it," Hermione cleared up the mess that was made, little that there was, while the girls measured out the doses into the specified vials.

"Good, now let's say goodbye to Ron and you should all get going home, I'm sure you're missed by now," Harry said.

They all scooted off and did so, then hugged Hermione and Harry goodbye before using the floo to get back to the Weasley's. Dobby had returned and was, thankfully, cooking dinner for them all. The trio readily ate what was put before them and then off to bed they went.

Hermione and Harry said their usual goodnights but this time they lingered on the subject of Hermione staying with Harry for the night, just to sleep. The witch fought her good and right nature and decided that yes, she did want to spend the night in her love's arms.

First, she went and got dressed in a night gown and then used the connecting door she had made, to get into Harry's room, where he was already laying in bed awaiting her soft body. Hermione grinned shyly and the wizard did the same before pulling back the covers for his love. The witch walked over slowly, fighting every nerve in her body not to run away, and entered the bed with her love.

"Night love," Harry whispered as he wrapped his arms around Hermione's body.

"Night Harry."


	11. August 5th

AUGUST 5TH

Hermione awoke in the best position imaginable, wrapped in the arms of the one she loved. Looking up she saw that he was already awake and smiling down at her.

"Good morning love," Harry leant down and pecked a kiss on the tip of his witch's nose.

*YAWN* "Good morning to you too. How long have you been awake?" Hermione placed a kiss on the wizard's irresistible lips. Before it got to too far though, Hermione pulled away and awaited her answer.

"Only a few minutes. I was certain I was dreaming though, never could I have thought that great Hermione Granger would ever want to sleep in the same bed as me," Harry earned himself a light slap for that comment.

"Yeah oh great and mighty Lord Potter thinks he'd have trouble getting someone into bed with him. Do you have any idea how many witches and wizards would give their right arm for this experience?"

"Nope, don't want them. Only Hermione Jane Granger allowed in this bed of mine," To prove his point, Harry pulled Hermione close to him and started to kiss her senseless.

Hermione was suddenly in need of a brain because her old one would have known that this could only lead to trouble. She hadn't had started her contraceptive potion and her wand was too far away to get to.

Harry started to move his hands over his love's tight body as his mind worked overtime trying to figure out what he was doing. Never before had he thought that this moment would happen to him, to actually touch the love of his life in this way. The wizard started with his love's new hair style then moved down to the face that he had loved his whole life to look at. The luscious lips that he had kissed as much as possible the past few weeks. The eyes that he had gazed into for hours on end and just got lost in them whenever he could.

He moved his hands and lips down the neck of Hermione, causing her to shudder in pleasure. The sheer material of her nightgown did nothing to prevent the feeling of warmth travel down her chest and sides. Harry didn't dare touch the precious breasts that had taken his attention away from so much work that he was positive it was the cause of his bad test marks in school.

Hermione hadn't been sitting still either, once she had gotten over the shock of what they were going to do, and had pulled the sleep shirt off her love. Kissing her way around the body that had made many a witch drool, even some of the wizards were the same way. Flicking her nails across the erect nipples of Harry, the witch chuckled when the body beneath her spasm, causing him the rub up against her crotch.

"Oh Harry," Hermione moaned erotically.

"Mmm," Harry had felt the rubbing, considering it had rubbed up against his own crotch.

They were rushing now and clothes were stripped off quickly, each gawking at the other's naked body. Harry ran his hands over the supple breasts, down the body and over the naked mound that held the flower of virginity the witch had held out on for the love of her life. Hermione on the other hand was intrigued with her love's penis, something she had only ever seen in pictures and read about. Everything she had read about her first time was that this would hurt a little but never before had she seen something so big before. It was nearly 8 inches long, just shorter than her wand, but an inch and a half thick.

The couple spent the morning making love, time after time, taking no mind the fact that just down the stairs Ron, Dobby and Winky were awaiting their arrival for breakfast.

DOWNSTAIRS

"Where could they be?" Ron asked through his breakfast, spraying sausage over the table.

Dobby cleared the mess before answering, "They issus in beds stills."

"Oh ok, well then can you tell them that I am going around to Luna's for a visit?"

"Okays we issus doings so Master Wheezy," Winky said grinning, now the elf couple had time to spend time together.

Dobby and Winky watched the wizard finish his pile of food, clean up and apparate away to the Burrow so he could then walk to Luna's house from there. The elves then popped into their room, the one next to Harry's. Not wanting to have any chance of hurting their unborn baby, the couple split up and did their own thing.

Winky had taken the measurements of the other witches and wizards at the Burrow the day before and was now making the bride's robe gown. It was silver with sapphire blue trim, matching the part Veela witch to the end. The house elf had purchased the materials they were in need of to make all of the robes, of each sort.

Meanwhile, Dobby decided to do some more towards the surveillance that the household had set up on Spinners End. He looked through the transcripts and was disappointed when he saw nothing that was interesting, only seeing Snape walk out every few times and replace the stones that he had dropped the day before.

RONALD

Ron was full and contented when he apparated to the Burrow, "Mum? Dad? Ginny?"

Ginny skipped down the stairs, "Morning Ronald, where are Harry and Hermione?"

"Busy," The teen mumbled evasively.

"Ohhh, well then, I'm off to Neville's for a while, it's mental here with Mum, Fleur, her Mum, and Gabrielle all wanting to do everything right," Ginny pecked her brother's cheek before using the floo and calling out, "Longbottom Residence."

A whoosh and she was gone, leaving Ron all alone, in a house full of women, who luckily didn't know he was there. Rushing out the back door, via the kitchen, the wizard rushed through the backyard, where all of the decorations were getting set up for the next day. Passed the pond and into the orchard, Ronald raced through the acre lot and exited the other side to find a beautiful cottage.

Luna was in the back yard working in the garden, muggle-style. Even if she could use magic, the witch liked the peacefulness of muggle gardening, cooking, sewing and knitting. While everyone thought of her as a ditzy blonde, Luna Lovegood was a very smart witch, her mind was going a hundred miles an hour while doing the most simplest of things. So when she met Ronald, never calling him his preferred name of Ron, the witch knew that he was special and her perfect match.

"Oh hello Ronald," Luna watched as her love raced up to her and flung himself to the ground beside where she was seated.

"Hi Luna," Ron leant over and kissed the witch he loved chastely on the lips but made it into more than that quickly.

The pair were soon covered with dirt and not minding a bit because they were so much in love. They stopped suddenly though at the call of Luna's father, "Luna Marie Lovegood, what are you doing?"

"Hello Daddy, I was just kissing Ronald hello," Luna lifted herself from the ground and went to give her father a hug.

"Good morning Mister Lovegood," Ron stuttered before cleaning himself off using his wand.

"Yes, hello Ronald. It's always a pleasure to see you," The Lovegood's were friends with the Weasley's as they had been neighbours for years.

There was an awkward silence before Neil Lovegood cleared his throat, "Well Luna I have to go to the office, are you sure you don't want to come along and help?"

The want was clear in the elder wizard's voice, the last thing he wanted to do was leave his teenage daughter with a teenage wizard but as life would have it Luna declined, "Sorry Daddy, I'm just starting on the new batch of lilies and I don't want to ruin my progress. Don't worry about Ronald either, he can help me out then we'll be going over to help his mother set everything up for tomorrow."

That put a smile on the old wizard's face and made the other one's crumble, "Very well then, have fun the both of you."

With that Neil apparated away to Diagon Alley, where his newspaper's offices were. Ron quickly covered the ground between himself and Luna, readily wanting to get back to what they were so rudely interrupted from doing. Luna had different plans though.

"Ronald I need to get these lilies planted now, you can help if you want though."

Ron sighed loudly and set about shovelling dirt for his love.

GINNY

Ginny swirled and twisted through the floo network before flying through the fireplace of one Neville Longbottom and his Nan. Calling out for him though there was no response so Ginny went searching throughout the house.

Now Ginny didn't know it but this time every year Neville grieved over his parent's attack and the current condition they were in, so when the witch came about her love's room and heard sobbing from behind the door she had no idea what it was about.

Rushing into the room though, Ginny soon noticed that Neville hadn't been lying in their 5th year about papering his room with the lolly wrappers his mother and father handed him. Dazed slightly at the amount of papers on the walls, Ginny was soon back on task when another sob rang out.

"Oh, Neville!"

"Ginny? Oh go away, I don't want you to see me like this," The wizard tried to hide under his bed but was too big to do so anymore so he was soon caught by Ginny and pulled into a bone crushing hug.

"I will NOT walk away on my boyfriend when he needs me, never have and never will."

Neville gasped, or choked Ginny couldn't tell, before responding to the witch's statement, "I'm your boyfriend? Since when?"

Ginny shook her head and laughed, "Since the meeting yesterday dummy, I wouldn't have worried about you if it wasn't because I considered you that," To prove her point the witch wiped away the tears on Neville's face and lightly kissed him.

The pair kissed and talked the rest of the day, as did the other couples that day. It was a day of peace but little did they know that there was danger over the horizon and it was aimed at the lot of them.


	12. August 6th

AUGUST 6TH

The golden trio woke up in their own beds the next morning. Ron had gotten home late but not because of any reason he would have liked, his mother had ambushed him just before he was about to leave and got him measured up against Gabrielle for height as he would be dancing with her first. Harry and Hermione had only bothered leaving bed for food but Hermione had figured that it best they not spend the night together so they would have energy for the wedding today.

Each had a beautiful robe in their wardrobe in the morning, it seemed that Winky had out done herself once more. There was tonnes of time so the trio went and had bubble baths and spent the time washing away the aches from the previous day's activities, even if they were entirely different for two of them. When they arrived downstairs it seemed that Dobby hadn't gotten breakfast ready yet, which was odd for the elf.

"Dobby? Winky?" Hermione called out.

The couple popped in and were suited in gorgeous golden uniforms with a crest on their breast, containing a panther, a lioness, a fox and a phoenix. The design was just as Hermione had designed, a simple shirt and shorts for Dobby and a dress for Winky.

"Beautiful" "Bloody brilliant" "Great work Winky"

The elves blushed before Dobby popped off and collected the light breakfast for the trio to eat, as there was going to be a great amount of food for the wedding. The teens seated themselves and started to eat the wonderful food before them, noting a difference in the cuisine.

"Dobby, are you using a different spice or something, this is brilliant, though it was before too," Ron asked the elf.

"Well Masters and Mistress, Dobby issus findings a fews more free elves," Dobby grinned shyly as though not knowing if he did the right thing or not.

"That's great Dobby, where are they?" Hermione asked and just as she did, five more pops echoed through the house.

Before them were different elves, obviously from different clans, or areas, as they were different colours to Dobby and Winky's green but each on the golden uniforms Winky had made.

"Gaston, I issus from France," The purple elf stated.

"Frecia, I issus from France toos and Gaston's mate," The other purple elf stated.

"Xing, I issus from China," The blue elf stated.

"Eben, I issus from South Africa," A brown elf stated.

"Gertie and I issus from America," The last elf stated, this one a healthy orange.

"Wow, good work Dobby," Harry congratulated the elf, who blushed bright red, "Do they have rooms yet?"

The elf shook his head, "No Master Harry they issus wantings to be yours first then will share room betweens themselves."

"Now that's nonsense. We have tonnes of rooms, more than we need, so if they do want to share it has to be this way. Single males together but no more than five to a room, same with single females, but couple get their own rooms. That clear?" Hermione asked order like.

Everyone of them nodded their heads, "Right then we will take you as ours in a second, we need to finish this brilliant breakfast. Dobby I will put you as head elf and will be in charge of the others, okay?"

The elf nodded his head and thanked Harry by hugging his leg tightly. Once the trio were done eating, they took the elves as their own and got them to sort out their rooms. When they were gone Harry turned to Dobby, "Dobby this is going to be a big event, can I call on a few of the others if we need help with food etc?"

"Yessus Master Harry, we issus wanting to help wherever we cans."

"Good but not Winky, remember o keep her on a tight leash please," Hermione added on, not wanting the elf to hurt herself or the baby.

Dobby nodded and the trio said goodbye to their elves before popping off to go to the wedding.

There was all hell when the trio arrived at the Burrow. No not Death Eaters, Mrs Weasley in a rampage over something that was missing.

"Hello Mrs Weasley," Harry and Hermione said, Ron just nodded, as he was still annoyed at his mother for ruining his time with Luna.

"Oh hello you three, it's so nice to see you all here, now where are they?" Molly was going mad looking for...something.

"Mum, what are you looking for and maybe we can help," Ron asked impatiently.

"Don't take that tone with me Ronald. I'm looking for the damn rings, they've gone MISSING!"

"Oh," Was all the trio could say.

Then Ron said something really stupid, "Why don't you just use your wand?"

"MY WAND?! RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY!" Hermione pulled Ron away from the raging bull that was Molly Weasley and put Harry in the way, knowing full well that Mrs Weasley would never hurt Harry.

Luckily, the witch pulled up just quickly enough to prevent barrelling into her favourite non-related child, "Oh sorry Harry my dear, now where is that no good rotten youngest boy of mine?"

Harry pulled for time while Hermione sent Ron off to Luna's, "He wasn't meaning any disrespect Mrs Weasley, he's just hungry still from breakfast and all those delectable smells were driving him insane. That's all."

Molly seemed to believe Harry and went back to searching for the wedding rings while Harry breathed a sigh of relief, Ron owed him and Hermione a huge one for that. Finding a seat near a large dance floor, Harry sat heavily and sighed as he watched everyone race around, thanking Merlin it wasn't him that was getting married, yet saddened at the fact that he may never either.

"Howdy Harry, where's that witch of yours? We need to thank her for saving us a pretty Galleon from faulty potions," The twins walked up and sat on each side of the wizard, interrupting his time alone.

"She's saving Ron from your mother. Now what have you done with the rings mates?" Harry knew that there was foul play happening with the rings, he just needed to find out what it was.

The twins gasped and tried to look innocent as angels but failed miserably. Fred, or George, decided to explain, "Well you see, we've place a colour changing charm on the rings themselves and when Fleur and Bill say 'I Do' their hair will change colour. It's going to be great as long as Mum doesn't catch us replacing the rings later on."

Harry had to laugh at this because it was just the thing that the twins would do, only at a smaller, less harmful scale, "What no disappearing head ring? You guys are getting lazy."

"No just careful, we can change them back in an instant and be free and clear of any persecution from either family."

"Why would you be persecuted?" Hermione, who had just come back from finding Luna, asked the boys.

Harry decided to explain, to the twin's annoyance, and was relatively certain that he saw a smile hanging out there waiting to be caught up and placed on, "That's mean boys, but at least it's not a Canary Cream wedding cake."

The twins seemed to never have thought about that and whacked the other over the head for thinking it, "Damn a great opportunity wasted all because of that call back. By the way Hermione, thanks a bunch. To repay you, you are now a share holder in WWW."

Hermione grinned and shook her head, "Galleons just wasn't enough, you had to make me a part of that damned thing, ok fine but when ever it involves a female's body, consult me about it PLEASE!"

Fred and George stood and kissed both of the teens, much to Harry's dislike, on the cheeks and left the couple together. Hermione pulled a handkerchief out of her purse and wiped the area that twins had kissed on harry then kissed him there herself. Harry pulled Hermione into his lap and they started to kiss like they had the day before.

"Ahem," A professional cough that the couple knew all so well broke them from their kissing.

Looking up Hermione could see her headmistress, "Hello Professor McGonagall."

The witch was smiling slightly, a very rare sight, as she replied, "Good morning Miss Granger and to you too Mister Potter."

The teens blushed deeply but couldn't move due to Harry's slight predicament of a boner than would break the bank vault. It seemed that Minerva realised this and she blushed crimson before muttering a goodbye and racing away. Hermione and Harry started to laugh uncontrollably and that only got worse when Ron and Luna joined them.

"What are you two laughing about," Ron asked, not knowing that his fly was down and even through the robes, it was noticeable.

"Ah Ron," Harry pointed at the situation Ron was having with his robes and the wizard picked up quickly enough.

"Oh man," Ron turned towards Luna, who gracefully hid the wizard's hands and crotch while he zipped himself up.

"Better mate but next time don't forget," Harry laughed and was glad he could move without showing off a no longer present erection.

"Oh here comes Ginny," Luna pointed out.

The witch in question was walking hand in hand with Neville, and looked smashing gin the robes that someone must have bought for her, "Hey guys!"

They all said hey, though Ron looked ready to kill the wizard holding onto his little sister's hand, earning him a few slaps up the head. The group chatted for a few more moments before Arthur Weasley's voice boomed out over the property.

"The wedding is about to begin please take your seats."


	13. August 6th Still

AUGUST 6TH STILL

Ron and Ginny rushed away, each having a job to do in the actual ceremony, leaving the others to find their own seats. Seating themselves together the couple, Nev, and Luna watched as the Weasley's raced around getting all the last minute items that needs to be done get done. Harry watched as the twins carefully placed the rings back in their designated spot, probably after giving some sort of excuse as to how it returned.

Bill, Charlie, Percy and Ron were all standing up at the front of the chairs, near the arch of flowers and podium. It seemed they were talking very fast and Bill looked extremely green around the gills. They seemed to be trying to calm the wizard down but he was now starting to hyperventilate, it got so bad that Arthur whacked him over the back to clear his airway of a swallowed tongue.

Finally, the cleric arrived and everyone got into position. The wedding march played and it was beautiful. Fleur looked gorgeous in her robes and so did the rest of the bridal party, Winky really did do good work. The vows were made, rings were exchanged and just as they said 'I Do' the couple turned bright pink.

"FRED! GEORGE!" Was the screams that came from everyone and the twins quickly used their wands to change the bride and groom back.

"Sorry Mum," The twins grinned as they apologised to their angry mother.

The cleric cleared his throat, "Well then now that the bride and groom are back in their original colours I am pleased to pronounce you wizard and wife. You may kiss your bride."

The witch and wizard did as they were told and passionately kissed to the cheers and clapping of the crowd. Soon they had to come up for air but that didn't stop them from looking deep into their eyes, seeing their love's soul.

Molly had tears rushing down her face at the sight of her son walking down the aisle with his gorgeous wife on his arm. Music started up and soon it was time for the bride and groom to have their first dance. Bill grabbed up his wife into his arms, brought her willing form to the temporary dance floor, and started up with a close and slow waltz. After the song was over others joined in on the dancing, giving Harry the perfect opportunity to show Hermione haw crappy a dancer he still was.

"Would you like to dance Hermione?" Harry asked his love kindly.

Hermione looked stunned, as she knew Harry hated to dance, "Ok Harry, if you want to that is."

Pulling Hermione into his arms and pulling her to the dance floor, Harry held her close and started to move, keeping his feet away from hers. The couple were just getting into the feel of things though when all hell broke loose.

"DEATH EATERS!" A cry rang out over the property causing everyone to freeze then scream.

Harry knew that the Death Eaters had broken through the wards and were on their way now so he did the first thing he could. Grabbed Hermione and started getting everyone out of there.

"Take the children to their homes with their parents, go through the orchard and apparate from the Lovegood property," The witch and wizard would tell everyone they saw.

The crowd was running the way to the safety of the orchard leaving the Weasley's, Neville, Luna, Harry and Hermione there to fight the Death Eater's.

"Dobby!" Hermione called out.

*POP*

"Yessus?" The house elf asked the concerned witch.

"We have Death Eaters on the horizon and are going to need the elves, minus Winky, here to help with any wounded and captured. Also get the Order here NOW!"

The elf looked scared but popped away quickly to proceed in getting the needed people. There were soon pops and the elves surrounded their owners and their friends, ready to do what was needed.

"POTTER'S HERE!" A deep voice called out as the first Death Eater turned the corner of the Burrow.

The Light got ready and armed, while the Dark were still arranging themselves in formation. Harry knew that there would be more Death Eaters than there were Light so used the time that they had to formulate plans to defeat them quickly. There were close to 20 Death Eaters while Harry knew they only had 14 there, including the new Weasley witch, who was still dressed in her wedding robes.

"Leave of else this will get messy," Harry warned the growing group of black robes.

The Death Eaters laughed at Harry's warning but that stopped when they felt their anti-apparition shield fall and felt another come up. Some of them tried to apparate out but failed miserably, their faces were hidden by the ivory bone masks that they wore whenever they attacked.

"The Order's here," Hermione whispered to her love, who nodded.

Just as it was thought that the Death Eater's had the upper hand, they knew that they didn't now and sent the first spell.

'_Reducto_'

The spell wasn't aimed at the most common of targets, Harry, but beside him at Hermione, who just put up a quick shield and let it fly back at its sender.

That started the battle over the Burrow.

The battle raged on for only a few hours but in the mix there were few injuries on the Light side yet many on the Dark. There was even a death, Rodolphus Lestrange had gotten in between a Killing Curse that was sent by one of his own, aimed at Harry. It seemed that the prophecy was keeping Harry alive for as long as it was needed of him.

Ron had been battling a de-masked Goyle Snr and was pleased when he got the upper hand.

'_Stupefy_'

Goyle Snr was down and Ron quickly incarcerated him then let Gaston send him to the dungeons, but Ron wasn't watching as he was now fighting the Jnr Goyle, who had joined up when Malfoy had joined the ranks.

Ginny was doing her part to save the house, now on fire, by sending water flying through the air at various flames. Suddenly she was ducking spells being thrown at her by Lucius Malfoy, who after being beaten by Dobby had been sent to Azkaban but ended up getting freed once again by the Dark Lord.

"Ha a Weasleyette to kill or maybe I'll take you back to my place and satisfy you like you boyfriend never has," Lucius threatened the witch.

"NEVER!"

'_Slasio_' Lucius sent flying Ginny's way, the purple spell that caught Hermione off guard in the Department of Mysteries.

Ginny dove and sent her own speciality, a bat bogey hex, back at the wizard, just clipping him. Lucius was startled for a moment but soon recovered from the light attack of bats coming out of nose to see a '_stupefy_' coming his way.

'_protego_' Lucius flung the spell back at Ginny, who jumped over it.

'_avis oppungo_' Ginny sent a flock of birds to attack the Death Eater then followed it by another '_stupefy_', this time catching the wizard.

Leaving the canaries to attack the fallen wizard, Ginny moved onto another Death Eater, forgetting about the already ruined house.

Neville had just taken down another Death Eater but was now facing his enemy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and boy was she pissed as she had just watched her husband get killed by a stray Killing Curse.

"Longbottom, is that you? You really filled out you little twerp," Bella hissed menacingly.

Neville wasn't going to allow his anger get the better of him and quickly thought of every spell he knew that would disarm and contain the witch, then have his go at her when she was in the dungeons at Godrics Hollow.

'_Confringo_' Neville cast a blasting curse at the Death Eater, who barely got out of the way, causing the curse to hit the Burrow's outer shell, starting another fire.

"Oh he knows spell now well then, '_Crucio_'" The witch sent to the teen, who got out of the way quickly as he had figured she would go with her specialty spell first.

"Got to be quicker than that these days Lestrange, pity your stupid husband didn't learn that," Neville got the witch angry, trying to cause her attention to wander and for her to slip up.

The two battled for the duration of the battle but Neville was unfortunately the only one to lose his battle, getting stunned right at the end, allowing the witch to race through the wards and apparate away.

The twins were double-teaming Crabbe Snr and Jnr, so easy that they were having fun with them, seeing as everyone that they could see was doing well and good. They currently had the latter of the two naked and covered with feathers, while the former was dancing around singing the national anthem. Soon enough though Xing popped in, took away their playthings, and made them go help others in their battles, never splitting up though.

The other Weasley's were all fighting harder yet evenly matched opponents, each doing them in and not needing any help. There were a few close calls when Molly heard Neville go down, her motherly instinct giving her away and getting her arm sliced but a quick stunner and she went to help out the fallen teen.

Luna was currently facing Antonin Dohlov and he was throwing the only spell he knew, or so it seemed because he used it so much, the slashing hex. Luna had quickly silenced him and started throwing her own hexes and spells at the wizard, catching him off guard with her quickness. She still had an opponent but it was a very easy fight for her to complete, considering the silencing spell she had used was one of her own and was really hard to release oneself from.

Hermione and Harry fought alongside Remus and Kingsley, with the hardest Death Eaters, Rabastan Lestrange, Walden McNair and the Carrow siblings, Alecto and Amycus. They seemed the most vicious of the group but not nearly the most talented. Lestrange and McNair were hands-on killers, hardly ever using their wands so were lousy in wand to wand combat, which helped Hermione and Harry, while the Carrow's were fighting between each other all the time.

Finishing them off Dobby sent the four of the Death Eaters to the dungeons of Godrics Hollow and then head to complete his rounds of the battles. The couple sent Kingsley and Remus to Godrics for healing, Kingsley seemed to be missing an ear, while Remus was just needing to see his pregnant love, to keep her sanity.

By the time they were done with their little battle everyone else was don and the only body fallen was, of course, Rodolphus Lestrange, which was getting kicked every so often by passers by. The Burrow was another casualty of the fight, burnt to a cinder, only a few things left standing, including the family clock, which now had everyone out of mortal danger.

The Weasley's were all huddled around Neville, who had just been revived by Molly, with Luna standing next to Ron.

"Hey guys, how's everyone?" Hermione asked while kneeling to check on Neville.

"We're fine dear, Neville just took a mean stunner and a knock on the way down. I think he may have a concussion but we should get him checked out," Molly responded before turning to her family, "Go collect everything salvageable from the house and send it to the vaults. We'll pull together everything we have from Dumbledore and get a few rooms in the Leaky..."

"No chance Mrs Weasley, you are all staying with us, we have more than enough rooms to accommodate everyone that needs it. Ginny, take your family and collect everything precious and irreplaceable but don't take forever, I don't know if there's more Death Eaters on the way. Mrs Weasley, take Neville to Godrics Hollow and get him checked over then pick out a room for yourself and Mr Weasley. We shall meet you there," Harry ordered with no nonsense in his voice.

Molly nodded numbly and bundled up the teen before popping away to get him check out. Harry turned to Luna and started on her, "Luna it's too dangerous for yourself and your father here, everyone knows where you live. If your father agrees tell him that there is a room for him at Godrics Hollow, he knows where we are and get him to bring you too, I would rather if you did come to stay even if he doesn't wish to. Off you go."

The blonde haired witch nodded and raced off, after giving Ron a parting kiss, to find her father and get everything ready to leave the house for until the end of the damned war.

Arthur Weasley had stuck around with the teens and was feeling very awkward with what he had to say, "Umm Harry, thankyou for bringing us into your house but it should only be for a little while until we can rebuild the house."

Harry shook the elder wizard off, "Mr Weasley you and Mrs Weasley have been there for me my whole time at Hogwarts and are my family. I have plenty of rooms and I want my family to be safe and happy during this war time, please don't thank me, I am the one that should be thanking you all for being there for me."

The patriarch of the Weasley family sighed happily yet sadly, "Harry, call me Arthur before you explode with all the Misters. You too Hermione. Now let's get out of here, I'll take Ginny."

Hermione and Harry grinned at each other before making sure everyone was gone. Kissing each other lightly they then popped home, the last to leave the scene of a horrible waste of a brilliant wedding.


	14. Later August 6th

LATER AUGUST 6TH

Arriving at home, the couple were greeted with cheers from everyone, they were all pleased about the results that they had gotten from this attack. For once they had come out on top, capturing 18 Death Eaters, having 1 die and only having 1 escape. Neville was pissed at himself but that went when he was promised a make out session by Ginny.

"So has everyone picked out rooms for their stay here?" Harry asked the large crowd of Weasleys, and Order members.

Everyone nodded, minus the few who had homes to go to like Minerva, Remus, Tonks, Kingsley, Charlie, the twins, Bill and Fleur and Fleur's family. Neville had decided to move himself into the house but his Nan was going to go stay with her brother. He could have gone but it wasn't a big choice between the man who dropped him from a bridge to see if he saved himself and the witch who loved him.

"Good now we haven't had any food yet so, DOBBY!" Hermione got the elf in so she could talk to him.

*POP*

"Yessus Mistress Granger?"

"Can we have some food please? Suitable for a wedding party thanks," Hermione asked the elf, who nodded and popped away, probably to arranged his brethren to get everything together.

"It shouldn't be too long but it may be best if everyone got comfortable in the lounge room. Would anyone like a drink?" Hermione acted as the perfect hostess.

The nods were from everyone, though Ginny was getting a talking to by her mother for even thinking about wanting a drink, same with Gabrielle. Winky, who had been healing those that had been injured, got everyone their drinks, non-alcoholic ones for the underage ones and Tonks. Hermione had been sure that when furnishing the room that there were plenty of chairs for this sort of occasion but even so there were only just enough chairs to accommodate everyone.

"So what happens to the Death Eaters now?" Neville asked from his position across from the golden trio, with Ginny on his lap.

"We interview them, feed them, then I honestly don't know what we can do. We'll need to create another prison for them, one with a greater capacity and a lot better security. They're not going to escape where they are now but we only have 30 cells, even doubled up that's nearly a third of them taken. Any suggestions on what we do?" Hermione asked, not caring about the fact that Fleur, or her family were members of the Order, they all knew that they wouldn't do a thing to jeopardise their daughter or their new family.

"How about we kill them?" Fred suggested.

Hermione, Harry and Ron huddled together and decided their answer for that, "Are you mad? We aren't becoming as bad as the Death Eaters, Fred. We'll buy a piece of property, create a prison and hide it from everyone but the Order."

Ron was pissed at his brother but couldn't blame his thinking as he wanted nothing more than to kill the bastards that had destroyed his childhood home. Of course, killing would come about during the battles that are no doubt in the future but he would rather kill in the battlefield than an unarmed fiend.

"When will you start the interrogations? I'd like to help out," Neville asked the trio.

"We need to buy some Veritaserum and then we can start them and the help would be great appreciated, thanks Neville," Harry explained to the teen.

Everyone was talking about different things after that awaiting the arrival of lunch. Neville and Ginny moved over to speak privately with Harry, Hermione and Ron.

"Hey guys, so when will you be getting that Veritaserum? I really want to get started on helping this cause out," Ginny asked the trio.

"Well you will be helping by administering the questions but only after the prisoner is confined to a chair and you are in no danger. Even still, there will be another person in there with you, at least one more, but hopefully two. We want no incidents, no accidents, nothing that could harm you or anyone else. The Death Eaters don't know where they are and can't see anything but darkness but can hear everything around them, we need to use this to our advantage," Harry explained to the group.

"This is our war no matter what our parents or teachers say. The students and younger generations will be the ones responsible for winning this war but only if we use everything that our predecessors have done and failed at to help us. Dumbledore beat Grindelwald by using his brain and his strengths, and using his opponents weaknesses to his advantage, we must do the same thing," Hermione put in her two galleons worth too.

Getting off the subject of the war, Ginny asked about the egg, "How is the egg going? Has it hatched yet?"

Hermione shook her head sadly, "Not yet but hopefully it will do so some time soon."

They were about to get into the pros and cons of having a phoenix as a familiar when Hermione remembered about her poor cat. The half-Kneazle had tried to defend the Privet Drive property and been murdered. They had had a little ceremony the first day at the house, after Dobby had brought him back to Hermione. It would be good to have another familiar because even Hedwig and Pig were becoming more and more independent, almost as though Hedwig and Pig were not wanting to get anywhere near the danger that always followed the trio.

Suddenly the fire turned green and Luna and her father were tossed out of the floo network. Standing and brushing themselves off, Luna quickly found Ron and gave him a kiss to show that she was safe and sound. The witch then introduced everyone to her father.

"Harry, Hermione, this is my father Neil Lovegood," Luna stated to the couple.

"It is good to meet you at last sir," Harry shook the man's hand and then passed them over to Hermione, who shook them too.

"It is a great day to finally meet the boy whose interview increased my subscriptions by nearly 4 times. Thankyou for inviting my daughter and myself into your household for the duration of this damned war," Neil gushed over the teen.

Harry blushed but was graceful at it, "It is no problem though Hermione may need to add another storey by the time we're done with this war to house my family. You and Luna are always welcome within these walls whenever you need it."

Just then Gaston popped in and announced the lunch was ready, so everyone piled into the dining room, nearly filling the table in there. The food was amazing and from different cuisines, depending on which elf had control of the stove at that time. Bill and Fleur were gushing thanks to the trio and the elves who were seated with them for the kindness shown to them.

Harry stood and called everyone's attention to himself, "My family, these times are our darkest but this should not and will not stop us from living our lives as Bill and Fleur have done today. They're love just goes to show that nothing can be stopped, no matter how determined some beast is to ruin it. Love will be the key in us winning this war and I want everyone here to know that no matter what I love you all in my own special way and would be proud to fight beside you all."

The cheers were deafening as Harry sat back down to be kissed by his love, how then stood and made her own speech, "The people in this room should take note at how happy and at peace the loving couple before us are and remember how it once was. Remember that evil can only destroy you if you allow it to, and we WON'T let it destroy our happiness. To the happy couple"

Claps were heard and drinks were downed as the married couple kissed deeply and thanked Hermione for the kind words. Ron then stood and made his own little contribution to the speeches, "To my big brother, William Arthur Weasley, may he have many beautiful children and may they look like their mother because if they have the Weasley hair, well Merlin help them."

That brought many a laugh from everyone, something many of them hadn't done in a while thanks to the events of previous months. Voldemort had darkened many people's lives but while they were able to do so Harry, Hermione and Ron wouldn't allow the darkness to hit this household or their hearts.

After lunch the group turned into separate littler groups. Those that had home to go to, did so, while the elder Weasley's went to Diagon Alley to Diagon Alley to purchase more clothing for themselves and Ginny, who refused not to come. Neil went to his offices to get his reporters on the latest attacks on the wizarding world. Kingsley had warned Luna and Ginny about using their wands outside of school but had dismissed the charges against them due to the circumstances that surrounded their use. Minerva had to get back to Hogwarts to arrange the school terms and classes.

With only Neville and Ginny, Ron and Luna, Remus and Tonks, and Harry and Hermione left sitting around the couples decided to go to the library and get Neville started on his animagus training. Upon entering, Ron, Luna and Ginny went with the wizard to find the book needed, while Hermione and Harry took the elder couple to see the Phoenix egg.

"Wow, it's so cool. You should take notes and pictures Hermione, I doubt anyone has bonded with a Phoenix since Dumbledore, so there shouldn't be too much literature on the subject. Though, considering Phoenixes are such rare birds it may just be a text that they can use as a guide or something. Pretty though," Tonks babbled on.

"Right then, well you guys want to see our animagus transformations? Harry's got his and so have Ron and I," Hermione boasted, very proud of her friends and her accomplishments.

The werewolf and auror nodded and the couple transfigured some seats for them before getting Ron over to show off his fox. Ron and Hermione went easily but when Harry went to do his Hermione whispered to him, "Only the panther babe, we don't want to scare them."

Harry nodded and changed into his panther form and back again. Remus and Tonks were gobsmacked, "That's great guys, so when are you going to register yourselves?"

The trio looked shocked at the couple before them, "Umm we're not, at least not until after Voldemort's gone and dead. It would give away our only chance to spy on him incognito."

Tonks put her fingers into her ears, "I'm not hearing this. Why guys? You know I'm still an auror, even pregnant. I can understand but even so, you really shouldn't have told me."

The teens were afraid they would get dobbed in on so Hermione decided to do the rashest thing she'd ever done, "What about a deal? Our identities and animagi hidden until the end of the war or a larger prize?"

The auror looked intrigued now, "Who could you possibly have that's bigger than the three of you?"

"Oh how about trespassing during our fourth year as a lady beetle and not being registered? She probably pissed off some Ministry officials with her exposes on them and they had no idea how she got them. Rita Skeeter is an unregistered lady beetle and I have the memories to prove it," Hermione found a vial and pulled out the memory she had of catching the reporter the first time and having her in the jar on the train home the end of the teens 4th year.

Tonks took the vial readily as Skeeter had pissed her off many a time, "Deal now if you would please excuse me, I have a boss to suck up to."

Remus and Tonks then left the room and the trio of couples were left alone. They spent the rest of the day that way, only venturing out to eat and then once they were tired, and Molly had come in to yell at them the third time, did they decide to go to bed.

Unfortunately, for them they had to go into their own beds that night and were not allowed any late night nookie, except Harry and Hermione, who had the doors combining the room together. They spent the whole night together, uninterrupted.


	15. August 7th

AUGUST 7TH

Hermione awoke to the most beautiful sound in the world, the singing of a phoenix. Knowing there was only one way that could be happening, Hermione raced around the room searching for her clothing to go check on her phoenix egg. Harry woke up to that and when Hermione explained, did the same, finding his clothes in all different places.

Not bothering to go out of different doors, the couple raced down the stairs to the library, where the bejewelled stand was and saw a phoenix chick perched, waiting for some attention.

"My phoenix hatched," Hermione stated calmly.

"Yeah, wonder how long before it's fully fledged?" Harry asked the unknowing witch, though wondered quietly about the colouration of the bird.

It wasn't like Fawkes, this phoenix was purple and blue, not red and orange, "My favourite colours, I wonder how it knew that?"

Hermione had caused quite a ruckus in her endeavour to get downstairs to look in on her egg and the whole house was up and in the room looking over the bird. Some were in awe but Hermione had raced through the shelves of the library to search for a book on phoenixes. Finding only one piece, written by none other than Albus Dumbledore, the witch sat down in the aisle and red everything in the tiny text.

'Phoenixes will take their new owners favourite colours as their own before birth. Once born a connection must be made before familiars can communicate with each other. The new owner will be told the name of his or her new phoenix by said bird. It has been found that if the phoenix seats itself on the head of a female, the female is with child. It takes 2 weeks or so for the fledgling to become fully fledged into a great phoenix, at which time burning days will start to occur.'

The witch rose and went to where the group was still awing over the baby phoenix. Hermione went to the front of the group and picked up the bird. A purple and blue light surrounded the couple and Hermione was suddenly transported by a comfortable warmth to the opposite side of the room, away from the crowd.

"Too many people," A voice in Hermione's head said.

"What the hell?" Hermione looked down at the phoenix in her hands, "Was that you?"

"Yes miss. I'm Heath, who are you?"

"Hermione," Harry walked over and, thankfully, Heath didn't transport Hermione away again.

"Ahh so that is my new mistresses name, Hermione. Who is this wizard? You love him but I do not know what his feelings for you are," Heath seemed very protective of Hermione, even at such a young age.

"Harry, meet Heath," Hermione introduced her boyfriend to her familiar.

"Hey Heath, so what did you learn about phoenixes?"

Hermione told the teen everything she had learnt and, to her surprise, the wizard knew most of it already, "I once asked Dumbledore about Fawkes. So are there no female phoenixes?"

Heath replied Harry via Hermione, "Augurey's are female phoenixes in charge of water whilst Heath is a phoenix and travels via fire."

Harry now understood and Hermione calmed Heath down enough to go back over so she could explain to everyone who he was etc. That was what she did but while Hermione was speaking Heath was also talking to Hermione. Heath was telling Hermione everything he knew about what Fawkes had passed down to him and what to do with the Horcruxes.

"It needs to be done soon and you need to start searching for the others," Heath told Hermione, who had just finished telling everyone about Heath.

"Ok"

"Ok what Hermione?" Molly asked the witch.

"Oh yeah, I speak aloud to Heath but he speaks in my mind so if I say something suddenly then take no notice if it doesn't pertain to what we are doing," Hermione explained.

Everyone nodded and Hermione went to place Heath down on his stand but he wouldn't sit there. Instead, he went and flew around the room, landing on Molly's head, confusing the hell out of her, and everyone else in the room bar Hermione and Harry, who knew what it meant.

"Umm Molly, Arthur could we speak to you please," Harry asked politely.

The witch and wizard walked into a corner and sat in the transfigured chairs that Hermione made. Making sure that neither could hurt themselves when they were told, Hermione started the uncomfortable conversation.

"Umm, Molly, Arthur, have you two been intimate without using a contraception potion or charm?"

Molly blushed deeply while Arthur puffed out his chest in pride of the thought he could still go at it, "Not that it's your business Hermione but I honestly can't be certain, what with the wedding planning. Why?"

"Well you see Molly's pregnant," Harry put it out there in a second and wished they had remembered the echo factor because they soon heard the screams of glee and thump of Ron hitting the ground in a dead faint.

"Wh-what do you mean pregnant?" Molly asked, "How would you know?"

"Heath told us by landing on your head, that's what phoenixes do to females that are pregnant. I mean I can get Winky in here if that would help confirm it for you," Hermione offered but the Weasley elders just waved her off.

"A miracle, Arthur it's a miracle," Molly smiled and hugged her husband tight against her.

"What do you mean a miracle, Molly?" Hermione asked the crying witch mother.

"After Ginny we were unable to have any more children and nothing in the magical world could change that. Now you tell us that I am pregnant? It's a miracle," Molly wept out, before flinging herself carefully at the witch and wizard who hugged her earnestly.

Ginny had been trying to revive her brother but now raced over and started to weep in glee with her mother, saving Hermione and Harry from the grips of the matriarch. They went over and found Luna reviving Ron, by sucking his face off in a kiss.

"Why don't we just cast the Rennervate Charm at him?" Hermione asked feeling sick at the sight before her.

Harry pulled his wand out but was quick to put it back when he saw Ron shoot him a killing gaze that said all he needed to know, "I think she's doing the job fine, how about we introduce Hedwig and Pig to Heath?"

Hermione was just glad to get out of the room and, after telling Luna what they were doing, the couple and Heath went to the barn to find the owls. They were there but it seemed that they were a little wilder than before because neither came to say hello to the duo. Heath flew up and sat next to Hedwig only to return with a pulled feather from having the angry owl pull it from his wing.

"Hermione, I don't think these birds are tame anymore," Heath told the witch who totally agreed.

"Harry, I think you need to let your hold on Hedwig go and have Ron do the same because the owls just aren't tame anymore and it's not fair to keep them like this."

The wizard hated the decision he was going to have to make because Hedwig was his first friend he had ever had, and his first birthday present he ever remembered getting, "How do I release her?"

"Just say that you release her."

"I release you Hedwig," Harry stated clearly with a tear in his eye.

The owl looked down at Harry and knew that her hold to him was over. She squawked and flew out of the barn happy for the first time since the end of term. Harry knew he would never see her again and that hurt but he also knew that even though brought up in the magical world Hedwig was essentially a wild bird that could never be tamed.

Pig tried to follow but his magical attachment to Ron was keeping him there so Harry stunned the bird and took him in to see the newly aroused wizard, "Ron, release Pig from your hold on him so he can go with Hedwig."

Ron looked at Harry then down at Pig and quickly muttered the words to release the bird. Harry revived the owl and let him fly out the door to find Hedwig, "Sorry mate but they we in danger and unhappy."

"I know Harry but he was my first pet you know, well first that didn't end up being a bloody grown man," Ron paled at that then went back to kissing Luna, much to the dislike of Ginny and Neville, who weren't allowed to do the same thing.

"So when are you going to see a Healer, Molly?" Hermione asked, wanting to take Winky along with them.

"Well it may take a while to get an appointment so I should floo the hospital now," Molly went to the floo but was cut off by Harry.

"What about Madame Pomfrey? She's got the ultrasound machine for Winky to use and we need to go see her any way. We could probably go today if you wanted," Harry said eagerly.

Molly thought it over and then agreed, "Sure, thank you Harry."

"Winky," Hermione called out and in popped the elf who was hold a swatch of silk.

"Yessus?"

"Would you like to go to see Madame Pomfrey now?"

Winky nodded eagerly, "Oh Yessus please Mistress Hermione. Can I brings Dobby?"

"Of course, he is the father. Be back here soon, with Dobby, so we can all go together. I must floo Madame Pomfrey first though to see if she is free," Hermione said before popping her head into the floo and sending it to Hogwarts infirmary.

"Madame Pomfrey?"

"Oh yes Miss Granger, has Mister Potter hurt himself?" The motherly matron asked.

"No, no, I was wondering whether we could bring a few mothers to be around to get checked up on please."

"Of course but it could be a little walk as floo transport is unsafe for a pregnant lady."

Hermione knew this but nodded anyway before pulling her head back out again, "All right to be done now."

Molly held onto Arthur so the wizard could apparate her to the gates of Hogwarts while Dobby took Winky, Ginny with Neville, Luna with Ron, and Harry took Hermione. As one they all popped away to the castle gates.


	16. August 7th Still

AUGUST 7TH STILL

When they arrived, the group were surprised to find carriages awaiting them, "Thank Merlin for that." They really hadn't wanted to walk the distance to the Hospital Wing.

The group walked in couple pairs as they entered the halls of Hogwarts, the first time since the funeral of Albus Dumbledore. A wave of sadness shrouded over the couples as they walked to the Hospital Wing, a fair distance from the entrance hall. Passing through the doors of the wing there was hustle and bustle all around as Madame Pomfrey set up the magical ultrasound machine that they would be using.

"Good morning Madame Pomfrey," The students called out, as did the elves and the adult Weasley's sang out "Morning Poppy."

The witch stopped in her tracks to acknowledge the greetings that she received before setting back into getting everything ready for the examinations. First would be Molly, who was only a few weeks along at most, then Winky would have her turn.

"Alright then, Molly lay down on the bed here and we can get started ," Poppy sat next to the bed and awaited the witch to follow her instructions.

Molly did as asked and Poppy then waved her wand over the abdomen of her friend while saying a charm. A little black and white globe grew from the area covered by Poppy's wand and motions could be seen. Then the black and white were soon turned blue and pink.

"Well we have twins, a boy and a girl, and you are about 8 weeks along Molly. Congratulations my dear friend," Poppy gushed over the witch, who was shocked over having twins again.

"Twins?" Arthur was light headed so Hermione transfigured a chair for the expectant father to sit on.

"Another girl? Excellent," Ginny was over the moon at no longer being the only girl child in the family.

The group all congratulated the couple as Winky got ready to have herself checked over.

The same thing happened except this time there were two blues and a pink, "Triplets."

Dobby fainted, causing a great amount of laughter from those there with him, including his wife, who was taking the news very well. It was true she had swelled a little bit more than a normal single pregnancy would and now it was certain as to how many there were on the way to the Potter/Weasley/Lupin families.

Dobby regained consciousness as soon as his wife needed help getting down and started loving the elf, causing everyone else to start showing their affections to their partners. Poppy Pomfrey was drowning in a sea of love and devotion.

"Alright then, I should get this back to the hospital but we could really use one here, do you know how many pregnancies we have a year in this school? It's amazing what with the potions and charms though not everyone can be smart enough to do either but still," Poppy talked to herself, only grabbing the attention of Harry.

"Why not buy one then?" Harry asked the medi-witch.

"Because they are very expensive and no one on the board believes that they are worthy of a donation, plus no one in the Ministry believes we require the funding for one. Apparently we don't have children having sex without protection and getting themselves pregnant," Pomfrey vented at the group, who were now all listening intensely.

"I'll donate one then, just buy one and send me the bill," Harry had the money and he knew he may as well use it to help those less fortunate than himself.

Poppy looked as though she was ready to kiss the teen, "Thankyou for your kindness Mister Potter."

Hermione grinned at her love and kissed his cheek, "That's very nice of you Harry, you know you didn't have to do that."

Harry smiled kindly down at Hermione, "I know but I think that we well be needing a private one in the future and this is about as private as we're going to get, unless you want me to buy a hospital of my own."

The witch chuckled, "No babe just don't get to enthusiastic with the giving of things, some people will take that for granted and use you for it."

He understood that and knew who deserved his money and his family was one of them, "Let's head off and send these ultrasounds off to our friends."

The group all said goodbye to the witch in charge of the hospital wing and did the whole trip back down to the entrance hall where the Thestral drawn carriages were awaiting their return. Each of those present could see the creatures but each hated that they could because when they did they remembered who had had to die to be able to do so.

Molly had only been a young witch when Death Eaters had slaughtered her brothers, Fabian and Gideon Prewett before her very eyes. It had been a horrible day but ever since then the witch had seen the cursed creatures that were pulling the carriage she was sitting in.

Arthur had murdered, he wasn't proud of it though. It was during the first war and a Death Eater had tried to come in and kill his young family, who were lucky away shopping. The youngest Lestrange brother, the one lesser known as Arthur had murdered him during his initiation, Lorcan. Lorcan had tried to kill his family so Arthur in turn killed him but it haunted him daily, more so when he saw the Thestrals.

Luna had watched her mother die in her father's arms thanks to a potions experiment gone wrong but had also been there when Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Neville watched their first deaths, Sirius Black's in the Death Chamber of the Department of Mysteries.

Both Dobby and Winky had watched their fellow elves be murdered for no reason other than the tea was made wrong . Upon entering the grounds of Hogwarts for the first time, each was astonished that there was a tame Thestral clan in the grounds as they were very hard to catch and tame around humans. When they had heard about how Harry and the gang had ridden them to the Ministry they knew that Hagrid had done a great job adjusting them to semi-captivity.

Harry and Hermione were sitting in their own carriage, the others had been too full to ride in, and they were talking about Horcruxes and when they were going to destroy the one that they had.

"I think we should do it today, we have enough time for if something goes wrong and we can do it somewhere safe with Dobby watching over. Get the sword from my trunk and take it into the training room for some privacy then get it over with, with Ron on the door," Harry suggested wanting the damn thing gotten rid of.

"Ok but I still think it would be best if we researched more," Hermione was always wanting to research until they knew everything about the things but that was hard to do when the monster that created it had done so at different times throughout his life.

"No, no more research; we know what we need to do. Use love and the sword to battle whatever we face and then get the hell out of there," Harry said in a controlling tone, but calmed as soon as Hermione's face got back into his line of vision, "Oh sorry Mione, I know what you're getting at I just want it gone, you understand?"

Hermione nodded but was still sore with the wizard, though that was cleared up by a few kisses from Harry. Just as the couple were getting into some serious petting the carriages jerked to a stop and they had to get their clothes back in the right way before someone came looking for them.

Hopping out the pair saw that everyone was waiting for them, Ron gave them the once over and groaned while everyone else blushed at what they had been doing, "Mate please don't, I could use that carriage on the way up nest time."

Harry just grinned at his friend, "Will try not to Ron but I've seen you and Luna and haven't complained about the use of my lounge chairs."

Ron groaned again as his parents looked at him and Luna sternly, "Are you using protection at least?"

Blushing bright red, Ron tried to get across that they hadn't done that yet but Luna beat him to it with an even worse answer, "Hermione taught us how to make the potion so when the time does come we're both prepared."

"Hermione? What does she mean both?" Arthur looked at the witch, who was shooting daggers at the blonde haired witch.

"I taught Ginny too but I'm sure she's not..."

Hermione was cut off by Molly Weasley's bellow, "GINERVA MOLLY WEASLEY ARE YOU HAVING SEX?!"

Ginny was now shooting daggers at Hermione and Luna while her face turned the colour of a beet, "No mother but I intend on doing so at some stage so I might as well get used to making the potion right while I have no need for it than not knowing it and screwing it up, therefore ending up in a position I think you're very common with. I don't want children yet, I'm only 16!"

That shut Molly up, that and the fact that Arthur had mentioned the safety of their unborn twins. After taking a few calming breaths, the witch turned to Hermione and said, "Thankyou for preparing Ginny for sex even if she doesn't have it for a LONG time yet."

The teen grinned shyly and said, "I just wanted them prepared and you know they don't teach that potion in school, don't know why, it would save a lot of witch's from being stuck with a kid that early."

The group nodded as one and then split up to go home, the subject of sex long forgotten, well for now. Going off in the couples they had on the way there, they all apparated home.


	17. Later August 7th

LATER AUGUST 7TH

Arriving home the golden trio split off from the others, making an excuse of training, and raced to Harry's room to collect the needed items for destroying a Horcrux. The sword was easy to find while it took a little longer to recover the locket of Slytherin himself. After finding both they made their way to the training room, where Dobby was standing guard.

"Great job Dobby, now you and Ron need to stay out here unless you hear something big happen. We have no idea what is going to to happen so be ready for anything but make sure no one finds out what we are doing so be on alert at all times," Hermione told them, trying to man herself up for what was about to happen.

"Okays Mistress just besa careful pleases," Dobby asked kindly.

"Yeah mate, stay safe please, I'd hate to explain to Mum what happened," Ron tried to make light of the situation but they could all feel the tension.

"Here goes," Hermione and Harry walked into the training room and moved to the centre, to prevent any blow back hurting the two outside.

The couple unclasped the locket's chain and placed it around their own necks and did the clasp back up again. A blinding light encased the room and both of the teens were on the floor in agony from the evil in the necklace. Oncethey were over the shock of having so much evil surround their souls, the couple looked at each other differently, with hate in their eyes rather than the usual love. They were so engrossed in their hatred that they didn't notice a young wizard standing off on the side in pure happiness.

"Hermione I hate you, you stuck up cow!" Harry screamed at the witch.

Hermione took in her stride and came back with, "Oh yeah Pothead? Well at least I care about those around me and not get people killed!"

"Go back to hell you bitch!"

"Make me!" Hermione started shooting spells off at the wizard, who was dodging them like the lithe panther he was in animagus form.

"Ha that the best you have Granger?" Harry started shooting spells of his own.

The couple started to really fight and the wizard in the corner was in pure pleasure at the hate that emanated off them both. That was until Harry got a spell off and caught Hermione unawares, slicing her open.

"Ouch, Harry why did you do that?" Hermione seemed to be knocked out of her anger trance at the injury.

"Because you're such a bitch!" The wizard in the corner screamed over.

That got Harry out of stupor and caused him to notice Hermione was injured, "Oh Mione baby, did I do that? Here," The teen healed the wound and kissed it better.

"Thankyou Harry, I'm sorry about what I said," Hermione cooed to her love.

"NO! NO! FIGHT AND BE MAD!" The wizard in the corner screamed repeatedly.

"Shut up whoever you are!" Hermione yelled at the wizard.

The wizard flung his head back, causing the hood of his cloak to fall back, revealing the young face of Tom Riddle Jnr, "My name is Lord Voldemort and this is your demise young wench."

"Really, well I rather think that you are Tom Marvolo Riddle and this is your demise," Hermione fought back at the soul fragment of Voldemort.

Harry and Hermione started to kiss, keeping their eyes open and situated on the evil wizard, who seemed to be in absolute agony by their love. Harry shuffled them closer towards the cringing and spasming soul fragment, keeping out of his line of sight. When he was close enough, he raised the Sword of Gryffindor and stabbed the fragment through the heart.

"NOOOO!" The light burst and caused Hermione and Harry to be flung against the back wall.

Holding the other close to them, Harry and Hermione felt the need to make love immediately. They ripped the other's clothes off and went at it like wild animals, no thought to the duo waiting outside for them to come out. All the pair outside the door heard was an explosion and then a lot of moaning, so they rushed inside to see if they were needed.

"ARGH!" Ron screamed and fainted while Dobby just grinned at his employers slyly and pulled the fallen wizard out of the room with him.

The scream, plus the shaking of the explosion, caused the rest of the house to race up and see what was happening. As soon as Luna saw Ron's condition she raced to him and started to kiss him, her way to revive the wizard the other time it had happened. Ginny was about to open the door and see what was going on when Dobby looked at her madly.

"What Dobby?" Ginny was confused as to his actions.

"Yous don't want to goes in there, Mistress and Master issus lovings each other at moments," Dobby grinned proudly as he could feel the evil was gone from the room.

"Oh ok but why?" Luna asked as she pulled away for air momentarily.

"Just causes they issus wanting too," Dobby cut the questions off and herded everyone away from the door.

Back inside though the loving couple were in the after throws of their passionate love making, still joined together and sweating over each other.

"I love you Harry," Hermione whispered as she wiped away a drip of sweat from his brow.

"Same Mione. Hey, do you know what happened to that damned locket?" Harry asked as he pulled out of his love and started searching for the item.

Hermione was sad that the presence of Harry was gone from her body but also wished to find the locket. They found it near their starting point, the centre of the room and it was now open, presenting two photos, which caused Hermione to gasp over.

There was one of Salazar Slytherin and Rowena Ravenclaw entwined together, kissing, while the other was of Rowena, Salazar and a dark haired baby in their arms, obviously their child.

"Harry, I didn't know that Ravenclaw and Slytherin were together, that must mean that Tom was both their heir," Hermione stated.

"I wonder if Dumbledore knew that. I wish we could ask him about it," Harry really missed the deceased wizard and the guidance he could have given them right now.

"Well if he updated his portrait memories close to his death than there might be a way we can talk to him about this," Hermione pondered aloud, pacing around the room naked as the day she was born.

Harry was listening but at the same time was getting aroused by his love's wanderings, "Umm Mione?"

"Yeah babe?" Hermione turned to find Harry standing at attention, in both senses, and understood what he was wanting.

Grabbing their wands, the locket and the shreds of robes, the couple popped into Hermione's bedroom to continue making love.

DOWNSTAIRS

Ron had come around after a few moments of passionate kissing by Luna and was now getting the third degree stares from his mother for doing so. He didn't know what was so bad, it wasn't as though they were having sex like Harry and Hermione were.

"Mum would you please stop it? Luna and I aren't having sex, is that what you wanted to hear?" Ron was pissed at his mother and it showed through his tone.

Molly understood young love, hell she had had two kids by the time she was 25 years old but she didn't want that for her children, no matter what Dumbledore might have predicted. She was pregnant again and it wasn't by choice, not that they would have aborted the child but still, Luna was still too young to get pregnant and there was a war going on and whether she liked it or not, Molly understood that it was going to be her children's war.

"Fine but know that only Bill, Charlie and Percy are allowed to give me grandkids any time soon," Molly said only to be frightened by her twins from behind her.

"Aww Mum you give us no credit for giving you grandkids? That's a shame," Fred, or George said, scaring the room.

"Not you lot, who'd you get knocked up?" Ron asked his brothers.

"No one but even so why can't we give Mum grandkids? We're old enough to muck around with women of the opposite sex," The other twin stated confidently.

"Oh Merlin not you two, I would die if there were more of you on this earth," Ginny complained loudly and dramatically.

"Hush Ginny and you too Ron. Fred, George, we have something we need to tell you both so you had best sit down," Arthur pointed to a spare seat, which the twins sat in curious.

Arthur walked over to stand behind his wife and laid his hands on her shoulders, "Your mother is pregnant."

At first the twins just sat there shocked but then they whooped for joy and hugged their mother and slapped their father's back. They were shown the sonogram and went even crazier when they saw that it would be twins. The pair were saying things along the lines of corrupting their minds before birth and then the line of baby gear that they could create and sell.

Molly kindly pushed them away from her abdomen, like she had to the last two times before hand, at least they were only little when that came around, "They aren't here yet and won't be for a while, 32 weeks or so, depending on how much they want to come and see the world, so no trying to corrupt them to mischief."

The twins tried to hold shocked looks but failed and went back to talking about merchandise that was baby friendly. They were talking about it when they exited the house, after saying goodbye to those in the lounge and sending their great sympathies that they couldn't see Harry and Hermione, and laughing at what Ron had seen.

The remaining group split into their pairs, though Ginny and Neville were closely watched, and they went about their own ways for the remainder of the day. Harry and Hermione though were only seen for dinner, where they received a large talking too about the use of contraception and other things to that aspect.

The house went to sleep early that night, as they would be interviewing some prisoners the next day, Dobby had collected some Veritaserum from Professor Horace Slughorn the previous day.


	18. August 8th

AUGUST 8TH

The occupants of Godrics Hollow awoke at the sound of Heath singing a peaceful yet awakening song. Hermione rose from the arms of her love after a night of loving sex with her heart and soul Harry, who was just awakening himself. Showering and dressing in the robes Winky was constantly creating her, and the other two in the trio, the witch awaited her love to arrive outside of his door.

"Morning Mione," Ron said as he passed her, yawning at the early hour.

"Good morning Ron, have a nice night's sleep?" Hermione asked as she knew it frustrated him that he couldn't sleep with his girlfriend every night like she could with Harry.

"Yeah, had a dream that Luna was hugely pregnant. Think that means anything?"

"Not unless you've been fucking each other behind your mother's and her father's backs. I think your subconscious just foretold you of the future that you want with her, which includes kids, but hopefully not too soon, we do have a war to win," Hermione grinned at her blushing friend.

"Such language, do you kiss Harry with that mouth?" Ron asked shocked slightly at Hermione's newfound vocabulary.

"Of course she does, here watch," Harry had caught the end of their conversation and was now kissing Hermione passionately in front of their friend, who had become more and more used to the action.

"Well we need some food in us if we intend on interrogating some bloody Death Eaters, apparently we have had a few added thanks to those prank items. We're up to 20 in the cells, we're going to need to expand the dungeons or create ourselves a proper prison," Ron updated to couple, having been the last to look over the register of their detainees.

"Who did we get from the pranks?" Hermione asked as they made their way to the dining room.

"Fellow students, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson, they were given the presents by unmarked family members and are now considered missing by their parents. I wonder what we have to do about them seeing as they are just of age and wouldn't be of much use other than as spies in Hogwarts," Ron pondered as they entered the dining room, which was already filled with everyone eating away.

"Morning you three," The Weasleys greeted them.

"Morning," They replied before tucking into their food.

The attendance of the day was greater than usual as there were a few Order members to be there in every interrogation to give hints, as they had done this stuff before. Kingsley, Tonks, Remus, and Alastor were going to sit in with the couples who were doing the questioning.

Ginny, Neville and Tonks would take the younger prisoners, as they were less of a threat to them. Ron and Luna got Remus for the lower level Death Eaters that were taken, while Hermione, Harry, Kingsley and Alastor would do the older Death Eaters themselves, maybe allowing the others to sit in once they were done with their own grill sessions.

Dobby, Gaston and Xing would be taking the groups to the separate interview rooms and handling the distribution of the Veritaserum. Dobby took Hermione first, then Harry, Kingsley and finally Alastor to a dank room with four comfortable chairs and a wooden concoction that would bind and hold the prisoners throughout their interrogations.

Lucius Malfoy was first.

Dobby brought him through, none to gracefully, as the wizard had been the hellish master of the elf before being freed by Harry. The elf sat him in the wooden restraint chair, which came to life and tightly bound the man to it, causing him to yell out in pain and fright. The trio had set the house up that the prisoners could see who and what was in the room they were in and when Lucius saw the other occupants of the room he started to laugh.

"Think you'll break me hey? Well the Dark Lord will have me out of here quicker than you can say Quidditch. He knows all about this place, Black's old house," Lucius stated with pride, thinking that he was being held at Grimmauld Place.

This caused the quartet to laugh at him, "You think you're at Grimmauld? Like hell. No dear Lucius you are somewhere special, somewhere your lord has no knowledge of. Now let us start with this questioning, we have your fellow Death Eaters to do still."

Hermione got Dobby to force the Veritaserum into his mouth and drip down his throat. Once that was done the potion started working immediately, a dazed look came over the wizard's face telling them all it was working.

Hermione started the questioning, "What is your name?"

"Lucius Nigellus Malfoy."

"What is your affiliation with Voldemort?"

"I am his right hand man."

"Where is he currently located?"

"I do not know."

"Where are your training camps?"

The wizard listed off a few places, Harry made sure that Dobby, who was taking it all down, got the exact locations.

"When will Voldemort attack next?"

"He has nothing planned but an attack on the Hogwarts Express."

"Why attack the train?"

"Because Potter will be there and he wants him dead at all costs."

"Does he know the prophecy?"

"No."

Hermione could see that the effects of the potion were wearing off so wrapped up the interrogation. Lucius came around and after remembering the questions spat at Hermione, who dodged it but landed a punch to the jaw and kick to the crotch.

"That wasn't nice Lucius."

The Death Eater glared at Hermione and the others before Dobby banished him back to his cell and brought in McNair. The questions were repeated with him, the Carrow siblings, Lestrange and Dohlov. The other couples were done early on and came in to watch the more powerful couple squeeze every detail they could out of the Death Eaters.

Once they were done with their final prisoner, Dohlov, Harry and Hermione were tired but invigorated at the same time. They had found several places that the Order and aurors could raid and also had worked out that Voldemort would attack the Hogwarts Express on the 1st of September in an attempt to capture and or kill Harry.

Apparating into the lounge of the house the group had an impromptu meeting and decided to tell the Ministry about the safe houses and training camps as the Order just didn't have the man power to do it all at once. It was decided that every student to walk through the doors of Hogwarts was to receive a once over with a charm that the Weasley twins had invented to find the Dark Mark on a person's body, before they would be allowed in the school.

Minerva McGonagall was pleased and impressed that the twins had created such a charm as it would save them many an hour visually searching the bodies of all of the students that returned this coming term. The headmistress had been flooed by Molly as soon as the decision had been made, and Molly was so proud of her twin sons, a first for a while.

As these things were happening, next-door Severus Snape was getting ready to leave the hell that was Spinners End.


	19. August 8th Still

AUGUST 8TH STILL

Severus Snape had been cooped up in his home for the last weeks with his godson Draco Malfoy and it was driving him mad. He had his potion making and his books but that only got a person so far, and with Draco complaining every second, it was getting hard not to kill him. Only problem there was the death of his godson meant his own death would be imminent.

"Severus, when are we leaving this hell hole of a house? It's so tiny," Draco whined to his godfather.

"There are 4 storeys Draco, it is NOT tiny. Please I'm trying to do something and it is desperate that it gets done properly," Severus was creating a potion that would guard both himself and Draco should someone try to kidnap one or the other.

"But I'm soooo bored," Draco flung his arms out and knocked a vial over into the potion.

"DRACO, GET DOWN!" Severus flew to the ground and pulled Draco with him as the potion exploded, spewing flames everywhere.

The explosion was so bad that it was heard from next door, causing Hermione, Harry, Ron and Neville to jump into action and apparate to the birds nest. They saw the little cottage on fire and Draco and Severus race outside to get away from the flames.

"It's time guys, we need to block our minds but it shouldn't be too hard to take them both down," Harry said as they all got ready to fight the two Death Eaters.

"Dobby!" Hermione called for the elf.

*POP* "Yessus?"

"Put a barrier around us and them so they can't get away. We need them alive and in our custody."

The elf nodded and started to say a spell in elfish. Once again he nodded and then popped away to watch the battle from the birds nest they had just been in.

The quartet all put their mental blocks up, having been practicing, Neville since arriving a few days ago and the trio since the start of the holidays. They didn't need Snape knowing their next moves before they said them. Racing quietly through the remaining forestland the four teens burst in on the sight of Severus trying to put out the flames while Draco sat down weeping over his lost possessions.

"Hello Draco, stay still," Hermione quickly stunned the Death Eater.

This action caught the attention of Severus, who quickly swore and turned towards his destiny, "Hello you little pains in my arse, how is that you found me when the Dark Lord himself couldn't?"

Harry was trying to keep his temper in check, while the other three were all neutral faced and awaiting the first spell to be cast. Hermione finally noticed the struggle her love was going through and placed a hand on his arm, calming him enough to act rationally.

"Snape we'll give you one chance to surrender then we will just fight until you have lost. We have your godson and we know about the Unbreakable Vow so just give up and become our prisoner. We'll treat you a tonne better than Voldemort will, we'll even keep you alive and fed," Ron told the potions master, who seemed to be contemplating the offer.

Harry couldn't take it any longer and burst out, "Hurry up Snape because you know all I want to do is kill you for what you did to Dumbledore."

That seemed to clinch it for the ex-professor, "If you still believe that I killed Dumbledore then I guess we will have to fight to prove you wrong, Potter."

"No Severus, you will fight all of us. We already have many of your brothers in prison and you can go visit them soon enough but not before we have had a chance to bloody you up some."

'_Stupefy_' four of the rang out and each hit the wizard, throwing him back and breaking bones along the way.

"Damn him, I thought he would put up more of a fight," Ron had wanted to actually fight the man.

"No, he knew that he had no choice so he did what he knew was best, let the fight go in our favour, he knows we won't kill him," Neville explained to the red head.

"Well we had better get him into the cells and have one of the elves heal him up so we can question him and Malfoy Jnr," Hermione said as she called for Gaston to do exactly that.

Once the elf had taken care of the wizard, the four teens went about trying to stop the smouldering pile that was once Spinners End. After an hour, the fire was gone, there was nothing but a pile of rubble, and ash left of the house, which the teens scoured through but found nothing.

Returning to Godrics Hollow, the teens were accosted by the remainder of the people in the house. They made their way to lounge and seated themselves before even thinking of answering, "Harry, will you answer the questions please?"

Harry nodded, "We have had surveillance on two Death Eaters who have been hiding out at a place called Spinners End. Now that explosion was at Spinners End and we went and captured the two Death Eaters that resided there. Their names are Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy."

The Weasley's, Tonks and Kingsley gasped, while Remus and Alastor growled, "Snape? When are you questioning him? I'd like to give him a piece of my mind about killing great wizards who happened to be a friend of mine."

The trio had already decided to question the Death Eater about the Horcruxes separately but make the official interrogation be in front of the whole house in a few minutes, "You are all invited but no torturing or asking questions, that is Harry's job."

Everyone nodded, reluctantly in some cases, and Harry suggested to floo McGonagall as she had been Dumbledore's love and should be there. Mrs Weasley flooed the witch and they were soon joined by her.

Harry, Hermione, Remus and Alastor, along with Dobby, Gaston and Xing, apparated the remainder of the group to the largest interrogation room, the one that Harry had been using before. Once everyone was seated comfortably did Harry get Dobby to bring in Draco Malfoy first.

Forcing the Veritaserum down his throat, Harry awaited the dazed look to over come his face before beginning the round of questioning.

"What is your name?" Harry started with.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy"

"How are you affiliated with Voldemort?"

"I was a Death Eater against my will"

"Really, who forced you into servitude?"

"My father and his associates"

"When did you join the Death Eater army?"

"The summer before my 6th year at Hogwarts"

"When were you ordered to murder Albus Dumbledore?"

"At my marking ceremony, by the Dark Lord himself"

"How many times did you attempt to kill Albus?"

"3, once with poisoned wine, again with a bewitched necklace and lastly on the Astronomy Tower"

"Why even try to kill him?

"Because he threatened to kill my mother if I didn't do so"

"Why did Severus Snape eventually do your job for you?"

"I don't know"

"If given the choice would your return to Voldemort's side?"

"No"

"How can we trust you?"

"Because I never truly wanted to be a Death Eater and am against all they stand for"

"Fine, Dobby take him to a room upstairs and make sure he cannot get out but keep him comfortable," Harry told the elf, much to everyone, but Hermione's, shock.

"Why Harry? He tried to kill Dumbledore plus he's been a thorn in your side since your first day in school," Ron asked his obviously insane mate.

"Everyone deserves a second and even thousandth chance Ron. He just said that he doesn't believe in all that the Death Eaters stand for so why punish him like he was one of them. I've done things I'm sure others would see down too, hell I caused the death of Quirrell, Diggory, Sirius and many others yet you all let me off. What is the difference between me and Draco?" Harry asked quietly.

The group started to say that those deaths weren't his own but they were cut off by Hermione, "Even if you don't count the others, Harry did essentially kill Quirrell, in his first year no less. As far as we know Draco has never killed anyone, only tried and failed many times over. I intend on killing as many of the Death Eaters as I can before the end of this war, does that make me evil? Things aren't always black and white, a great man said those exact words to me once and today I believe them even more than when he told me them."

That shut everyone up as each either had or were going to kill before the war was over and now they understood the reasoning behind Harry keeping Draco safe. Harry himself had the intention on finding Narcissa and bringing her here too, for her own safety.

Next Dobby brought in Severus Snape, who looked ready to kill when he saw the crowd, "Couldn't find any others to watch Potter, you idiot."

"Shut up and stay that way," Hermione ordered as she got Dobby to administer the Veritaserum to the wizard.

The ex-professor glared at the elf but took the potion.

"Right now, what is your name?" Hermione asked, being allowed to do this questioning as she was more subtle and cool tempered.

"Severus Muriel Snape"

"What is your affiliation with Voldemort?"

"I am a spy against him for the Order of the Phoenix"

"Why did you kill Albus Dumbledore?"

Everyone held their breaths as they awaited the answer.

"I was asked to by Albus himself as he was dying anyway"

Minerva was crying now, as was Molly, Ginny and Tonks.

"Why was he dying?"

"Old age"

"If given the choice would you return to Voldemort's side?"

"No, I am and always have been loyal to the Order of the Phoenix and its leader"

The effects of the potion were wearing off and soon enough the wizard was coherent and asking questions of his own.

"Who took over the command of the Order of the Phoenix?" Severus asked.

The trio stood up and the wizard groaned loudly, causing the remainder of the people in the group to chuckle sadly. Harry, Hermione and Ron huddled together and decided to continue the questioning about the more delicate sides of things.

"Dobby release him from the restraints and tell him where we are," Hermione told the elf, who didn't seem very pleased but agreed none the less.

"Now I believe lunch is ready so if you would all go and fill yourselves up, we will be along soon enough," Harry stated to the group, who all popped away intrigued at what was about to happen.

Once everyone was gone, Hermione sealed the room from entrance by anyone other than Dobby, if he was called for. Seating themselves down comfortably the trio watched the unarmed wizard while touching their own wands just in case he decided to pull a fast one and use wandless magic.

"So then what do you know about Voldemort's Horcruxes?" Harry asked the man bluntly.

Snape sneered at the trio, "I only know what Dumbledore knew and I doubt he neglected to tell you everything prior to having me kill him."

The trio grimaced and it was picked up by the potions master, who too grimaced, "He never told you, did he? Great Albus, just great. What do you know then?"

Harry told Severus about the letter that Dumbledore had left him in his vault and throughout the wizard nodded, "That sounds about right, only I doubt about the snake being one."

"Why?" Ron asked.

Hermione answered this time, whacking herself over the head for not thinking of it first, "Because a snake can die of natural causes at any time. With the Horcruxes, Voldemort could never truly die and live forever but Nagini couldn't, even though snakes can live for decades they all must die at some stage. The other's on the list must be the ones we seek and destroy because Dumbledore did think there was only seven and with the locket, ring, diary and the one in Harry gone..."

"Wait, one in Potter?" Snape interrupted the witch, much to her annoyance.

"Yes, Harry was one but our love destroyed it, as it destroyed the locket, only we didn't know we were destroying it at the time. Why?" Hermione explained to the stunned wizard.

"Because of the same reasoning behind the damned snake, that's why you stupid..."

That had three blazing wands thrown at his body so Severus quickly calmed himself down, "Right then no more insulting know it alls, can we finish this so I can get some food in my stomach?"

The trio lowered their wands before resuming the conversation with their old professor, "Fine Snape but we think that it was an accident, or at least, that night he intended on making another Horcrux with using Harry's death but instead caused himself to be transplanted into Harry's body instead of whatever item he had intended on using."

That seems plausible enough to the elder wizard, "That would explain it but how in earth did you work out that he was a Horcrux in the first place?"

The teens didn't want to tell the man too much in case he was being deceitful so they just shrugged off the question and came back with one of their own, "When did he know he was going to die?"

Severus knew the question was going to come but he always thought it would come from Minerva, "He knew that day that his time was up so he updated his will, updated his portrait memory, said goodbye to Minerva for the last time and went off with you, Potter, to collect the Horcrux. It was extremely hard to kill him but I had promised him that I would. He would have died anyway from the potion he had to drink in the cave."

"How do you know about that?" Harry demanded.

"I just do, now I'm hungry and tired so can we wrap this damned interrogation up?"

"Fine, DOBBY!"

The elf popped into the room, "Yessus?"

"Please take Snape to his room, next door to his godson, and you can let him know where he is, he must be worrying by now. Explain that we will be up in a while and to be thankful that he did well in his interrogation or else he would be with his friends right now. Change the house wards to disallow Severus or Draco to leave the house itself unless given permission. Be sure that they can get through to the other via a door in their rooms," Harry asked the elf, who nodded and took the elder wizard away.

"Well let's get some grub, I'm hungry," Ron grinned before popping away.

Hermione allowed herself to be side along apparated to the kitchen, where everyone was eating and awaiting their explanations, which would never come.


	20. Later August 8th

LATER AUGUST 8TH

After the lunch was completed, everyone went his or her separate ways. The Weasley's all went around to the remains of the Burrow to greet the contractors, Luna and Neville went with them, so Hermione and Harry were all alone.

"Should we go talk to Draco?" Hermione asked her boyfriend.

Harry nodded and they walked up to where they had placed the duo, Heath joined them on the way, sitting himself on Hermione's shoulder. The room was on the 3rd floor, where the rooms weren't taken yet.

Knocking on the door that Draco Malfoy was situated in, the couple got a surprisingly happy call of entrance. Entering the room, they found the wizard lying on his bed reading a book from one of the bookcases that Hermione had placed in the room.

"Good afternoon Draco, how are you today?" Harry asked kindly, even though it hurt him a little to do so.

The wizard placed the book down and looked at the pair as though they were mad, "Uhh hi Pot- umm Harry and Hermione. I'm fine thanks."

"We need to speak to you about a few things, mainly about how your mother will take moving here for her safety," Hermione explained as Harry summoned a couch for him and her to sit on.

"Oh ok but why would you care?" Draco asked the witch.

"Because we know you don't want to be a Death Eater and that you won't go back to Voldemort. Now we need to make sure that your mother is safe from him, unless you believe she is on his side?" Harry suggested.

The wizard shook his head wildly, "Never, she was the one that made sure that I would be safe by getting me to stay by Severus. He never let me get into any danger throughout the whole year at school."

"Didn't you know about the Unbreakable Vow she made him take to keep you from dying?" Hermione asked the wizard.

This shocked the teen greatly as he had thought that his godfather was doing it to save him from the Dark Lord not because his life depended on it, "No I didn't, that means that Severus never wanted to be around me, he just wanted to stay alive."

Draco started to tear up and that made both Harry and Hermione uncomfortable. Heath picked up on the emotional atmosphere in the room and started to sing a cheerie song, making everyone feel happy again.

"Whose phoenix is that? I've never seen one like that before,"Draco asked the couple.

"He's Hermione's, his name's Heath," Harry replied proudly as he kissed his love on the cheek.

"Oh so you too finally did get together then?"

Hermione squeezed her love's hand before answering, "Yeah we got together this summer. Now about your mother, we will need you there to bring her straight here, right into this room but you will only be allowed to apparate for that one time. If we hear that you have done anything other than pack your belongings and bring your mother here you will be back in the cells, is that understood?"

Draco nodded, "I don't want to go back to there. Will I be allowed my wand while I'm here?"

Harry and Hermione had considered that would be asked, "Not after you get back, but only until we can trust you won't attack any of the current residents here, ok? That's the same that's happening with Snape and will happen with your mother too when she arrives so explain that to her. Now DOBBY!"

Dobby popped into the room, "Yessus?"

"Please hand Draco his wand and then go to Malfoy Manor to be sure that there are no Death Eaters there. Once you get back we will need you to go back there again, this time with Draco and collect everything that he asks you to collect and bring them back here. Before placing them in the room next door please check them over so there is nothing that can harm you or anyone else in the house," Hermione asked the elf, who handed the wizard his wand and popped away.

A second later he returned and announced everything was clear and there were no Death Eaters around the premises, "Right then Draco off you go and be quick about it."

The wizard nodded and apparated away, soon followed by Dobby. While they were gone Hermione got some tea and biscuits brought up for when Narcissa arrived, knowing she was used to such courtesy and then went to get the potions master from next door.

"Snape?"

"I have a first name you know," A gruff voice replied as he answered the adjoining door to his godson's.

"Right well then, Severus, would you please join us in here for when Draco returns with his mother?" Hermione asked, hesitating with the name Severus.

The wizard nodded and placed the potions book he had been reading down on the bedside table, "Fine but I doubt she will be pleased with her new accommodations, she has always been a picky one."

"That's fine. Now just so you know, you will be returned your wand after we can trust you won't use against anyone here, including those that visit. You can have free range of the house, including the potions lab Hermione has fully stocked with all different ingredients. As a way to get your wand back quicker, we would consider allowing it to you now if you would promise to make Remus his Wolfsbane potion every month, he had a hard time the last few times trying to find some," Harry offered to the wizard.

Severus had perked up when he heard that there was a potions lab in the house and he would be allowed access to it, "I guess I could make the wolf his potion if only to get my wand back."

"Gaston!"

*POP*

"Yessus sir?"

"Severus' wand please."

The elf clicked his fingers and the long and thin wand landed in the wizard's hand, "Thankyou Gaston."

The elf bowed and popped away, "Here sir, your wand."

Severus eagerly took the wand and smiled, a first for the teens to see, "Thankyou Potter, Granger."

Hermione and Harry nodded at the potions master, "You're welcome."

The trio sat in silence until Draco returned with his mother in tow.

"Hello Mrs Malfoy, have a seat please," Hermione was the perfect hostess and offered the witch a tea and biscuit before getting down to the nitty gritty.

"Wand?"

Narcissa passed over her wand to the witch, who pocketed it, "Thankyou. Now we have your husband in our custody, do you wish to see him?"

The elder witch shook her head fervently, "No, I would like to see him only one more time in my life and that is in the ground dead, hopefully by my own hand."

This had the teen's interest, "Why is that Mrs Malfoy?"

"Because he is a monster. Came in and raped me anytime he felt fit, I was highest ranked witch in my class at Hogwarts yet I have never held a job other than mother, and I wasn't much of one at that or else my son wouldn't be marked as a Death Eater."

Hermione saw red but cooled down as Heath cooed in her ear, "Thanks Heath."

Harry just sat and listened as the witch talked before coming up with a response, "Why didn't you ever leave him?"

This stunned the witch, "I couldn't leave Lucius, he would have killed Draco if I tried. He'd already killed one wife and daughter for leaving, before Draco was born. See he had another wife, Violet, and she got sick of the thrice daily rapes and left so Lucius killed his first born and only daughter, Gina. Violet returned and she too was murdered, of course it was turned to look as though the other side had done it. Sick bastard."

Narcissa looked sick at the remembrance of the rapes and then looked at Hermione, "Who was it that took the prick down? I'd like to thank them personally."

"Ginerva Weasley was the one that stunned and captured your husband. Now we will be working out a way to charge the captured Death Eaters but until then is there any legal way that you can divorce him and lose the last name? No offence but Malfoy just screams darkness," Hermione asked the witch she felt was going to be a big help in the future.

"Well I guess I could divorce him and take my maiden name, Black, but what of the property and money? My son and I need to live in a comfortable way."

Harry thought about that, "Maybe Ragnok can help you out."

"The goblin? What could he do?" Narcissa asked shocked at the suggestion.

"He could officially pass the funds over to you and Draco. I've read about it, the funds of the aggressor can be awarded to the victim in compensation for the terror they had to go through. I'm sure that Ragnok can get the goblin elders to agree to awarding you and Draco everything, as though Lucius had died, and you would get everything," Hermione went into nerd phase again, quoting things out of goblin texts that she had read.

Severus nodded along as he too had heard about these sorts of things happening. That seemed to clinch it for the witch and she readily agreed to talk to the goblin.

"Fine now it is dinner time, would you all please join us for the meal?" Harry asked the trio, who accepted the offer and followed the couple downstairs to the mess of people.

"Hey, what are they doing down here?" Ron asked through his food.

"They are our guests Ronald, and swallow before arguing," Hermione warned her dear friend.

"Yeah but they're Death Eaters," The wizard threw back at the witch, angering her.

"Didn't you hear what Severus and Draco said under Veritaserum? Neither wants to go back and we trust them, as should you. And Mrs Malfoy was never a Death Eater, just the abused wife of one."

Ron huffed and looked like he was going to argue but was stopped by Luna touching his arm, drawing his attention to her, "Ronald, dear, shouldn't they be allowed a second chance? They have never harmed anyone willingly, yet you judge them as you would Voldemort? That is not right."

For once Hermione agreed with Luna and it seemed that Ron did too, or at least it placated him enough to go back to his dinner. Hermione and Harry took their seats at the head of the table, while the trio sat down and started to eat, keeping their ears open and tongues still.

That was how the night continued, a few of the group warmed slightly to the Death Eater trio, as they were now known, but Ron was still cold towards them. Everyone went to bed that night tired and ready for a big sleep. Halfway through the night though everyone was awoken by the screams of Ronald Weasley being caught out trying to get into his girlfriend's bedroom. After that though it was peace and quiet and the house slept.


End file.
